Sabbat Wheel There are 4 major and 4 minor holidays celebrated through out the year by many pagan traditions. These include the four major agricultural and pastoral festivals and the four minor solar festivals of the solstices and equinoxes. Major Sabbats occur at the peak or midpoint of the four seasons. These Sabbats originated from the Celtic harvest festivals which were religious, agricultural holidays. The Minor Sabbats occur at the beginning of each season. These are marked by astronomical events (when the sun enters a certain astrological sign). For example: Yule is on the day when the sun enters Capricorn. The Minor Sabbats came from Roman holidays which were integrated into the Celtic calendar after the Roman occupation of Northern Europe and the British Isles
In common with many ancient people, many Pagans feel that the holiday begins at sundown the day before the actual date of the event and ends at sundown the following day. So, for example, Samhain starts at dusk on the 30th of Oct, ending the evening of the 1st of Nov.
The Sabbats are generally felt to be a time for the entire community or families to gather together, give thanks, celebrate and be merry. Many times individual magick is not performed on the Sabbats. More often, a symbolic ceremony is held to mark how the changing seasons reflect our changing lives. In cases where magick is not performed on the Sabbats the individual or groups who adhere to this custom leave the Esbats open to magickal works. Again this is not always the case-it varies from tradition to tradition. While the Sabbats are based around the solar calendar, the Esbats are based on the lunar calendar. | 
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