Seasons of the Witch! Ancient Holidays (and some not so ancient!)

 Seasons of the Witch!   Ancient Holidays (and some not so ancient!)   

Live each Season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each. ~Henry David Thoreau (1817 – 1862)  
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Slavic: Navii’s Day (Vjunitci) – Suhii (March) 1-4. On this first of four days, slavic pagans remember their ancestors in prayer. Today, Navii’s Day is the “Day of the Dead”. People bring sacrifices and invite their ancestors to attend their feast with them.

Rome: Feriae Marti, festival honoring Mars as God of Spring.

Rome: The sacred fire of the Temple of Vesta was rekindled by the Vestal Virgins on this day, which in ancient Roman days marked the beginning of the new year.

Greece and Rome: Matronalia was celebrated each year on or around this date in honor of Hera and Juno Lucina, protectors of women, children and the family. Statues of the Goddess were decorated with flowers, and special fires were lit. Girls made offerings to Juno Lucina at this time of year for happy and prosperous marriages.

Wales: David, Patron Saint of Wales, is honored. His emblematic plants, the leek and daffodil, represent the vigorous growth of springtime and recall the royal colors, green and white, of ancient Britain.

Hindu: Maha Shivaratri, a post-harvest festival celebrating the Lord Shiva. Devotees fast on this day, making recitations of the rudri or mahimanstrota. A big fair is held at Bhavnath in Junagadh, and farmer folk indulge themselves in its celebration zealouly.

 

 

 

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Seasons of the Witch! Remember the ancient ways and keep them sacred!  (and some not so ancient )        

      

Resources : GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast Archives 
 
 
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NOTE: Because of the large number of ancient calendars, many in simultaneous use, as well as different ways of computing holy days (marked by the annual inundation, the solar year, the lunar month, the rising of key stars, and other celestial and terrestrial events), you may find these holy days celebrated a few days earlier or later at your local temple .