"Samhain, popularly known as Halloween, occurs in late October and early November. For most Wiccan practitioners, this is the New Year, and a time for letting go of the old and looking ahead to the new. It marks the end of the harvest season. Since ancient times, Pagans have paid their respects to departed loved ones, ancestors, and guides in the spirit world at Samhain. The Goddess manifests as the Crone and the God as the Horned Hunter and Lord of Death. Sacred colors are black and orange. It is the festival of endings and transformation.
Set up an altar in your home to honor departed loved ones and ancestors, or, if you already have such an altar, place offerings and light a candle there. As done in ancient times, set a place at your table for your spirit friends and relatives, and serve them some of the food and drink you share at your Samhain feast. Throw a 'Come as You Were Party' and have everyone dress up as they were in another life. Set lighted carved pumpkins around your home to bless it. Magically make a resolution to break out of a negative habit pattern and begin a healthier way of living. Do divination on the year ahead."
Yule
"Winter Solstice, also known as Yule, Christmas, and Saturnalia, occurs in mid-December (approximately December 21). It is to celebrate the birth of the new solar year and the beginning of winter. The Goddess manifests as the Great Mother and the God as the Sun Child. The God also appears as Santa Claus and Old Man Winter. Colors are red, green, and white. This is a festival of inner renewal.
Strengthen bonds with your family and friends by visiting and/or exchanging gifts and greetings. Decorate your home with lights, evergreens, and holiday colors. Bless your home with a Yule wreath on your front door and sprigs of mistletoe inside. If you are part of a group, take up a collection of food and/or clothing at your Yule gathering and give what you collected to a social service agency to distribute to the needy. Place sunflower, rape and millet seeds outside for wild birds to feast upon. Greet the sun at dawn on Solstice morning by ringing bells. Do magic for a more peaceful planet."
Imbolc
"Candlemas, also known as Imbolc and Groundhog Day, occurs at the beginning of February. It marks the middle of winter and holds the promise of spring. The Goddess manifests as the Maiden and Brigid. The groundhog is a manifestation of the God. Colors are white, and sometimes red. It is a festival of spiritual purification and dedication.
Thoroughly clean your altar and/or temple room. Do a self purification rite with Elemental tools -- cleanse your body with salt (Earth), your thoughts with incense (Air), your will with a candle flame (Fire), your emotions with water (Water), and your spiritual body with a healing crystal (Spirit). Bless candles that you will be using for rituals throughout the year. Invoke Brigid for creative inspiration. Take a nature walk and look for the first signs of spring. Reflect upon/reaffirm spiritual vows and commitments you have made."
Ostara
"Spring Equinox, also known as Ostara, Easter, and St. Patrick's Day, occurs in the middle of March. It marks the beginning of spring and the time when days and nights are of equal length. The Goddess manifests as Ostara or Eostre with her basket of eggs. She is accompanied by the hare or rabbit, some say a manifestation of the God. Green has been sacred to this Sabbat since ancient times, because it represents the greening of the land with vegetation. This is a festival of new growth.
Prepare egg dishes and share them with friends. Organize egg games, such as egg hunts. Decorate your home with spring flowers and sprouting greens. Wear green clothing as an affirmation of new growth within yourself and nature. Bless any seeds you plan to plant in your garden. Begin a new project. Make a growth charm out of a hard-boiled egg--decorate it with symbols, write on it a quality you would like to manifest more fully within yourself, energize it, and then eat it."
Beltane
"Also known as May Eve, May Day, and Walpurgis Night, happens at the beginning of May. It celebrates the height of spring and the flowering of life. The Goddess manifests as the May Queen and Flora. The God emerges as the May King and Jack in the Green. The danced maypole represents their unity, with the pole itself being the God and the ribbons that encompass it, the Goddess. Colors are the rainbow spectrum. Beltane is a festival of flowers, fertility, sensuality, and delight.
Prepare a May basket by filling it with flowers and goodwill and then give it to someone in need of healing and caring, such as a shut-in or elderly friend. Form a wreath of freshly picked flowers, wear it in your hair, and feel yourself radiating joy and beauty. Dress in bright colors. Dance the maypole and feel yourself balancing the divine female and male within. On May Eve, bless your garden in the old way by making love with your lover in it. Make a wish as you jump a bonfire or candle flame for good luck. Welcome in the May at dawn with singing and dancing."
Litha
"Summer Solstice, sometimes known as Midsummer, Litha, or St. John's Day, occurs in the middle of June. It is a celebration of the longest day of the year and the beginning of summer. It has been a grand tribal gathering time since ancient times. The Goddess manifests as Mother Earth and the God as the Sun King. Colors are yellow, green, and blue. It is a festival of community sharing and planetary service.
Celebrate Solstice time with other Pagans--take part in the Pagan Spirit Gathering or some other Pagan festival happening during June. Keep a sacred fire burning throughout the gathering. Stay up all night on Solstice Eve and welcome the rising Sun at dawn. Make a pledge to Mother Earth of something that you will do to improve the environment and then begin carrying it out. Have a magical gift exchange with friends. Burn your Yule wreath in a summer solstice bonfire. Exchange songs, chants, and stories with others in person or through the mail. Do ecstatic dancing to drums around a blazing bonfire."
Lammas
"Lammas, or Lughnassad, occurs in early August. It marks the middle of summer and the beginning of the harvest. It is the first of three harvest festivals and is usually associated with ripening grain. It heralds the coming of autumn. The Goddess manifests as Demeter, Ceres, Corn Mother, and other agricultural Goddesses. The God manifests as Lugh, John Barleycorn, and vegetation Gods. Colors are golden yellow, orange, green, and light brown. It is a festival of plenty and prosperity.
Have a magical picnic and break bread with friends. Do a meditation in which you visualize yourself completing a project you have already begun. Make a corn dolly charm out of the first grain you harvest or acquire. Bake a sacred loaf of bread and give a portion of it to Mother Earth with a prayer of appreciation. Say prayers for a good harvest season. Do prosperity magic. Harvest herbs in a sacred way for use in charms and rituals. Kindle a Lammas fire with sacred wood and dried herbs. If you live in or near a farming region, attend a public harvest festival, such as a corn or apple festival."
Mabon
"Fall Equinox, also known as Mabon, occurs in the middle of September, (around the 21st). It is the main harvest festival of the Wiccan calendar and marks the beginning of autumn. The Goddess manifests in Her Bountiful Mother aspects. The God emerges as the Corn King and Harvest Lord. Colors are orange, dark red, yellow, indigo, and brown. It is the festival of thanksgiving.
Select the best of each vegetable, herb, fruit, nut, and other food you have harvested or purchased and give it back to Mother Earth with prayers of thanksgiving. Hang dried ears of corn, braided ropes of garlic and/or chili peppers around your home in appreciation of the harvest season. Do meditations and chanting as you store away food for the winter. Do a thanksgiving circle, offering thanks as you face each direction -- for home, finances, and physical health (North); for gifts of knowledge (East); for accomplishments in career and hobbies (South); for relationships (West); and for spiritual insights and messages (Center)."
I often marvel at the similarities that exist between the ancient Pagan holidays and those adopted, in times more recent, by Christianity. And I find it amusing that most Christians refuse to see that their religion is basically an eclectic collection of aspects from the older world religions. Granted, they have thrown in a few bits of their own creation but, on the whole, Christianity (in its purest, best form) greatly resembles the customs and dogma of a number of prominent world religions, past and present.
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