celtic calendar cross-quarter quarter days holidays | The Old Farmer's Almanac Rate this Article: Average: 4.6 (47 votes) Ever wonder how Groundhog Day got started, why weddings were traditionally in June, or why we hold elections in the fall? The timing of present-day rituals and holidays may be based on the calendars of the ancient Celts and other cultures! The year was divided into four major sections, called quarter days. Then, each section was divided in half, creating four cross-quarter days. Together, these made an eight-part year that reflected the natural procession of the seasons. The Quarter Days The days that marked the four major divisions of the year were called Quarter Days; they originally marked the solstices and equinoxes, fitting readily into the rhythm of the ways people farmed. As the 12-month Roman calendar was adopted for both civil and religious purposes, all of the Celtic days began to conform more closely with the liturgical year of the Christian church and became identified with major religious festivals. [Editors’ note: Historians are divided as to whether the ancient Celts observed the solstices and equinoxes (what we call quarter days).

Some believe that the Celts divided the year into just four major sections: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh (what we call cross-quarter days). For this article, we will assume that the ancient Celts observed all eight divisions of the year.] March 25, Lady Day Around the time of the spring equinox, Lady Day became the traditional day for hiring farm laborers for the planting and harvesting seasons ahead. (In the church calendar, this day became the feast of the Angel Gabriel’s annunciation to the Virgin Mary that she would be the mother of Christ.) June 24, Midsummer Day Around the time of the summer solstice, this day was the midpoint of the growing season, halfway between planting and harvest. (The English church later celebrated this day as the birthday of John the Baptist, who foretold the birth of Jesus exactly six months later.) September 29, Michaelmas Around the time of the fall equinox, the harvest commenced on this day, and there were great fairs and festivals. This started the custom of early autumnal elections, because it was a convenient time for people to gather.

Elections came to be shifted to November in the American climate, where the harvest season was more stretched out. December 25, Christmas This observance originated as a winter solstice festival and celebrated a time of resting and gathering fertility for a new round of sowing and reaping. The Celtic rituals merged easily with the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus. Farm workers were usually paid for their year’s labor at Christmas, giving them reason to celebrate and three months rest before the next season. The Cross-Quarter Days These days marked the midpoint between a solstice and equinox. For the ancient Celts, these marked the beginning of each season, with the major two divisions being winter (Samhain), starting the dark half of the year, and summer (Beltane), starting the light half of the year. February 2, Candlemas Candlemas acquired its English name from the candles lit that day in churches to celebrate the presentation of the Christ Child in the temple of Jerusalem. Originally, this day was called Imbolc (lambs’ milk) because the lambing season began.

It was also called Brigantia for the Celtic female deity of light, calling attention to the Sun’s being halfway on its advance from the winter solstice to the spring equinox. Much of this day is grounded in the seasons—estimating how soon spring-like weather will come and when to plant the crops. It was not held as a good omen if the day itself was bright and sunny, for that betokened snow and frost to continue to the hiring of the laborers 6 weeks later on Lady Day. If it was cloudy and dark, warmth and rain would thaw out the fields and have them ready for planting. Our Groundhog Day is a remote survivor of that belief. Though we recognize animal behavior isn’t always the way to judge planting dates, the tradition continues, often with a wink and a smile. May 1, May Day May Day, or Beltane, was the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, and marked the beginning of summer for the ancient Celts. It was a day for dance and song to hail the sown fields starting to sprout.

Beltane was a time for the pairing of young couples, though not yet their wedding, which would not come until the next Cross-Quarter Day, after three months of seeing how they suited each other. Today’s June weddings came from this tradition; given impatience of the couple, the waiting period came to be shortened to a six-week span. August 1, Lughnasadh Lughnasadh was the wedding of the Sun god Lugh to the Earth goddess, causing the ripening of crops. The church transformed it into an offering from the first fruits of the land; the first loaves baked from the new wheat were offered at the Loaf Mass, which became corrupted in pronunciation to Lammas. October 31, Samhain Samhain (“summer’s end”) is celebrated as today’s Halloween. Many historians believe that it served as the start of the new year in the Celtic calendar. It was the day when the cattle were brought in from pasture; those needed for the winter’s supply of meat would be slaughtered. Since Samhain was the death-night of the old year, it came to be associated with ghosts and graveyards.

It has happier associations too, such as apple bobbing, which was a form of telling fortunes for the new year. We hope you found this history interesting! It’s amazing how today’s holidays reflect the rich fabric of our past. Beltane - Beltaine - May day - celebrations and rituals The changes in the seasons reflect our lives - changing through birth, maturity, old age and death. Beltane / Beltain / Beltaine / Bealtaine 30th April / 1st May The beginning of Summer - Summer is a comin in ! Beltane was an important festival in the Celtic calendar. The name originates from the Celtic god, Bel - the 'bright one', and the Gaelic word 'teine' meaning fire, giving the name 'bealttainn', meaning 'bright fire'. This is the beginning of the 'lighted half' of the year when the Sun begins to set later in the evening and the hawthorn blossoms. To our ancestors Beltane was the coming of summer and fertility. Nature is in bloom and the earth is full of fecundity and life. Beltane falls half way between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice and is a Cross Quarter Day.

Fire festivals Beltane is one of the four Celtic fire festivals marking the quarter points in the year - feasts were held and bonfires were lit throughout the countryside. Fire was believed to have purifying qualities - it cleansed and rejuvenated both the land and the people. The ritual welcoming of the sun and the lighting of the fires was also believed to ensure fertility of the land and the people. Animals were transfered from winter pens to summer pastures, and were driven between the Beltane fires to cleanse them of evil spirits and to bring fertility and a good milk yield. The Celts leapt over Beltane fires - for fertility and purification. Young men would circle the Beltaine fires holding Rowan branches to bring protection against evil - its bright berries suggested fire - malign powers were considered particularly active at the year's turning-point. It was considered unlucky to allow anyone to take fire from one's house on May Eve or May Day, as they would gain power over the inhabitants. A Beltane fire festival is held annually in Edinburgh, at Calton Hill on 30th April - a May Queen and Green Man , representing Beltane fertility and renewal lead the celebrations on the hillside.

The Beltany Stone Circle in the North West of Ireland is named after the Beltane festival as the sunrise at Beltane is aligned with the only decorated stone in the circle. The Maiden The Triple Goddess - worshipped by the Ancient Britons - at Beltane is now in her aspect of the Maiden : The May Queen, May Bride, Goddess of Spring, Flower Bride, Queen of the Fairies - a symbol of purity, growth and renewal. The Crone turns to stone on Beltane Eve. May Blossom May blossom symbolises female fertility, with its creamy/ white, fragrant flowers. Hawthorn blossom was worn during Beltane celebrations, especially by the May Queen. It is believed to be a potent magical plant and it is considered unlucky to bring the blossom inside the house, apart from on May eve. Quarter Days and Pagan Fire Festivals By Patti Wigington Updated August 31, 2016. In some modern Pagan traditions, including some forms of NeoWicca, the eight sabbats or holidays are divided into two groups: the Fire Festivals, or cross quarter days, and the Quarter festivals.

The Fire Festivals, or cross quarter days, include Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas/Lughnasadh, and Samhain. The Quarter festivals, or lesser sabbats, include the solstices and equinoxes. The term “quarter days” is derived from a system in the British Isles in which certain days, falling four times a year, and near the solstices and equinox dates, were marked as a time to collect rents, hire new servants, and resolve legal matters. In England and Wales, the original quarter days were Lady Day, Midsummer, Michaelmas , and Christmas. These, obviously, correspond with Ostara, Litha, Mabon and Yule. This system of quarters was used as early as the Middle Ages. Interestingly, in pre-Christian Ireland and Scotland, “quarter days” were based on the early Celtic calendar, and so rents were collected and accounts paid on the days we now consider the fire festivals, or cross-quarter days.

Quarter Day Festivals Ostara : Ostara is the time of the vernal equinox, and falls around March 22 if you live in the Northern Hemisphere (around Sept 22 for Southern Hemisphere readers), and it's a true marker that Spring has come. Ostara corresponds with the old Lady Day celebration found in the British Isles. Litha : Litha is the celebration of the midsummer solstice, and falls around June 21 in the Northern Hemisphere, and December 21 below the Equator. It marks the longest day of the year, and the point at which the nights begin getting longer once more. Mabon : This fall festival celebrates the autumn equinox, and takes place around September 21 in the Northern Hemisphere, and March 21 in the Southern Hemisphere. It is often marked as the second of the harvest celebrations, and corresponds to Michaelmas on the old English calendar. Yule : Falling around December 22 above the equator and around June 22 in the Southern Hemisphere, Yule marks the longest night of the year. A direct contrast to Litha, this is the Sabbat at which the days begin to grow longer again.

The cross quarter days of Imbolc, Lammas, Samhain and Beltane are often associated with the element of fire. Beltane in particular is known as a festival of fire, and it’s not uncommon to celebrate the greening of the earth with a large bonfire. Cross Quarter Day (or Fire) Festivals Imbolc : This celebration takes place around February 2 in the Northern Hemisphere(August 2 in the Southern Hemisphere), and corresponds with St. Brighid's Day or Candlemas. For many Pagans it's a celebration of candles and light and fire. Beltane : Beltane is a celebration of the greening of the earth, and is often celebrated with a big bonfire. It takes place on May Day - May 1 - if you live above the equator, and October 31 or November 1 if you live in the Southern Hemisphere. Lammas/Lughnasadh : This is the first of the harvest festivals and celebrates the reaping of the grain. In some traditions, it is Lughnasadh, and honors the Celtic blacksmith god Lugh . It takes place around August 1 in the Northern Hemisphere, and February 1 below the equator.

Samhain : Samhain is known as the witches' new year, and is a time when the veil between this world and the next is thin. It's a good time to do some fire scrying ! Celebrate Samhain on October 31 in the Northern Hemisphere, and May 1 in the Southern Hemisphere. Some traditions of Wicca and NeoPaganism celebrate only the quarter days, while others observe only the cross-quarter festivals. Choose which ones you're going to observe based on the guidelines and needs of your tradition. May Day: A Pagan Sabbath sermon: May Day: A Pagan Sabbath Origins and Meaning Of May 1st Charles Whitaker Description: ( hide ) Charles Whitaker, focusing on May Day, a Celtic and Germanic witches Sabbath (Walpurgisnacht), suggests that May Day has become a cardinal day for worshipping demons and the greenery of the earth. May Day is a confrontation with God's way of life. May Day, long the premier day of the Soviet Union, a day the armaments would be paraded and sabers rattled, has now turned into an International Socialist Workers Day.

The socialists may well push this confrontational day into the forefront, worshipping Gaia (mother earth) and fertility (environmental protectionism) and redistributive socialism. May Day connects the sexual fertility of Babylon with the modern neo-Pagan environmentalist protective, International Communism. Satan has cleverly crafted eight pagan holidays (the Wheel of the year- worshiping mother nature) to displace God's Holy Days, substituting a time of completion with a time of new beginnings, celebrating a new world order, a neo-Pagan worship of environment and mother earth or the concept of fertility, a witches Sabbath without the need for a Creator. Topics More... Today, May 1st, is May Day. May Day is not just a day where children innocently gambol around maypoles and have fun. As we will see, May Day sinks its roots deep down into the extreme depths of paganism. It is one of the eight days of the year sacred to Satan; it is a witch's sabbath. Let us spend a few minutes reviewing the roots of May Day.

May Day has several roots, but today I want to talk only about its connection to two: First, the Celtic festival of Beltane, and Second, the Germanic festival of Walpurgis Night. The Celtic festival of Beltane is spelled B-e-l-t-a-n-e. However, its old spelling is Bealtaine. Some etymologists trace it to the Scythians, whom we understand to be ancient Israelites. However, none that I could find relate Beltane to its obvious root: the practice of Baal worship, sun worship. Celtic and other northern European people decorated what they called May bushes with "flowers, ribbons, garlands and colored egg shells," usually on or around April 30th. Then the bushes become fuel for large bonfires, usually lit on the top of hills in the evening. The next day, May 1st, was a day of celebration, often involving frolicking around maypoles. Anciently, much of this frolicking was transvestite in nature. This was a spring festival. Notice, that it was weeks after the Spring Equinox (March 21st).

That is because the effects of spring do not reach northern Europe until late April or early May. So, the various Celtic peoples delay their spring festivals. What about maypoles? Scholars have no doubt at all that they are a phallic symbol. However, I want to mention another pagan tradition that is really telling. Some people held that the maypole was a viaduct, or a pathway or conduit, as it were, by which demons trapped in the earth could escape and climb to the surface—and from there reach heaven. People who followed this tradition purposely set up maypoles as a way of releasing evil spirits from their prison in the earth. This is a good opportunity to mention another day filled with demon worship: All Saints Day, on November 1st. This day falls exactly six months after May Day, and is another witches' sabbath. Well, as the Catholic Church became influential in some Celtic areas, May Day became Mary's Day. They simply added an "r" to it. It involved a rite of crowning the queen of heaven with a garland of colorful springtime flowers.

The Catholics actually turned the maypole into a symbol of—yes, you guessed it—the Tree of Life, while other priests actually taught that Christ was crucified on a maypole. Now, I ask you, just how dark can peoples' minds become? I mentioned that there was a second root of May Day, and that was Germanic rather than Celtic. What is Walpurgis Night? It is big in Scandinavian and Baltic countries to this day. In Estonia, for example, it is called "Spring Day". Anciently, it was a day when witches gathered. And to this day, Germanic and Scandinavian peoples still dress up as witches and they carnival, in basically a mardi gras manner, all on May 1st. I simply cannot pass up reading this quote to you: Celebrations are especially vigorous in Tartu, the university town in Southern Estonia. For Estonian students in fraternities and sororities, the night starts with a traditional march through the streets of Tartu, followed by visiting of each others' fraternity or sorority houses throughout the night. The following day (May 1st) is known as Hangover Day ... [Not Hanover day, but Hangover Day].

Leigh Hunt, an English essayist, wrote that May Day is "the union of the two best things in the world , the love of nature, and the love of each other." Now, by his term, "the love of nature," referring to the green aspect of May Day, the homage paid to nature, to the warming spring sun through bonfires and such. But, in referring to the "love of each other," he is addressing the social-political aspects of May Day. Yes, unlike many pagan religious holidays, May Day carries with it significant political meanings. It is important politically. As examples, consider that the Act of Union, a law that officially aligned England and Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, came into effect on May 1, 1707. Or, again, the law prohibiting the slave trade in British dominions went into effect on May 1, 1807. There are tens and tens of laws over the last few hundreds of years that went into effect on May 1st. But, it gets a whole lot worse, brethren. May Day is a day of confrontation, just as Satan's way is to confront God .

Outside of North America, working class people succeeded in making May Day a state holiday. On this day, in much of the world, from Australia to Scandinavia to South America, workers, trade unionists, anarchists, communists and socialists, mount massive rallies. I believe, even in America, confrontational rallies are planned over Arizona's immigration law and related issues, all on May Day. Many of you remember the military parades that the old Soviet Union sponsored on May Day. Yes, today, May Day has turned into an icon of the socialists. For example, the Second International, a rather influential conference of socialist groups headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, met in Paris in 1889. This was to proclaim May 1st as: "International Workers' Day, or Labor Day, a day of political demonstrations and celebrations organized by the unions, anarchist, and socialist groups." The idea caught on, not only in Europe, but, basically, worldwide, with the exception of the United States and Canada, and a relatively few other countries.

I will not take the time to address why the United States avoided May 1st as her labor day, except to say that it had to do with the Haymarket Square Massacre of Chicago on May Day in 1886. In a May Day strike against McCormick Harvester, someone threw a bomb into a group of policemen, resulting in the death of a number of strikers and policemen. Six months later, four of the striker's organizers were hanged, all apparently innocent of the actual violence. They did not make the bomb, they did not throw the bomb, they simply had organized the strike. The incident became international in proportion, causing Grover Cleveland no end of trouble. In the end, American policy makers opted for a different day for Labor Day, to avoid the stigma and controversy of the Haymarket incident. Anyway, in other parts of the world, May 1st is commonly kept as Labor Day. In Finland, for example, not only political activists, but church organizations of all persuasions use May 1st to parade, to march and to rally. Much the same is true in Sweden, but there the rallies are pretty much restricted to left-wing parties.

In the United States, May Day celebrations came to be perceived as communist. So, in 1958, late in the Eisenhower Administrations, Congress established May 1st as what they called Loyalty Day. Although May 1st is a legal holiday, it is not commonly observed in this country at this time. I suggest to you, that as we become more socialist, that might change. This year and next, May Day falls on the week-ends. If you will permit me to put it this way, the socialists may capitalize on these weekend occurrences to get as much mileage from May Day as possible. If you want to know when and where the next march or riot is going to be—so you can be there, just visit protest.net, a cyber gathering-place for social agitators, where a lot of organized protests are announced around the world. Regarding May Day, I found this rather typical comment on the website: May Day is a chance for private and public sector workers to challenge the corporate and government power plays that are not fair to the working families who built our communities. A slogan I found on this site well epitomizes the socialist underpinnings of May Day: "May Day. May Day.

Make them Pay." I have purposely deferred talking about May Day in England, where the day was, and is, extremely important. In fact, I believe it is still a bank holiday there. When talking about the roots of May Day in England, I think we can say that the M's have it. You will see what I mean. In ancient Britain, under Roman influence, the queen of heaven was called Maid Marian. She was the focus of attention on May Day. Also called Merry Maid, her name was later shortened to mermaid: she was a goddess of the sea. Who worshipped her? Well, who else other than—you guessed it—mariners. The words mermaid and mariner find their root in the Latin word for the sea, mare, which became merry in English. This is where the term Merry Old England comes from, ultimately from merry or mare, the Latin word for sea. The ancient Britons worshipped Maid Marian as the sea goddess. Some scholars connect Maid Marian with Maia, the ancient Greek fertility goddess after whom the month of May is named.

I suspect that, at least in England, May Day represents the merging—or coming together—of at least two pagan traditions: The worship of Maia, a Greek fertility goddess in the spring The worship of a sea goddess, Maid Marian. The two traditions seem to come together in an ancient moniker for England that carries both concepts of springtime fertility and the ocean. England was called the Rose [there is the springtime aspect] of the Sea. We all know that England today is quite socialist. The socialist aspect of May Day all comes together in the tale of Robin Hood. There, Maid Marian is surrounded with merry men: Little John, Will Scarlet, Friar Tuck, Robin Hood, and others form a band of thirteen. The story of Robin Hood is the tale of a robber (and a hood), who stole from the wealthy to give to the poor, and that is what socialism is all about—wealth-redistribution. Robin Hood and his merry men were socialists, no better than the power-hungry crooks who steal from us today, shielded by the law of the land. "May Day. May Day.

Make them Pay." In fact, in England, I believe to this day, the sexual cavorting that takes place on May Day is often called, "Robin Hood Games." When we talk of pagan holidays—like Christmas , or Easter we generally speak of sun worship and of cults around a fertility goddess, as with Isis or Osiris. This is correct. We seldom connect these abhorrent religious practices with economic and social realities, either past or present. But, in May Day we vividly see both. We see the worship of the sun in the bonfires, and we see the worship of fertility goddesses in the lurid dancing around a maypole, streamers attached to its top. But we also are unable to miss the political aspects attached to May Day, the godless social dogmas preached by Satan and his demons. Such practices have their root in idolatry, which Paul, in Colossians 3:5 , connects to covetousness. Socialism is fed by peoples' covetousness, their desire for a free lunch, for the wealth of the rich. With May Day, it all comes together.

May Day is probably the best single example of the connection—the relationship—between the sexually oriented, ancient fertility worship of the Babylonian system and the modern-day political movements of communism, socialism and environmentalism. I think you all recognize that environmentalism is at heart the cult of the earth. The true believers of environmentalism worship the earth goddess, Gaia, in her various forms. I want to connect May Day with the pagan calendar. I want to do this so that you understand how pervasive Paganism is, and how it just surrounds us, and impregnates this entire civilization. But, first, I need to define the term neo-pagan. The neo-pagans are modern-day people who study ancient pagan practices and deliberately adopt them. You may have heard about modern-day Druids, people who follow the old druid ceremonies. This is an example of neo-paganism. Another example is found in Wicca. The wiccans are those who follow the old practices of witchcraft. To neo-pagans of any stripe, May 1st is called a cross-quarter day. A cross-quarter day is: a day falling approximately halfway between a solstice and an equinox.

These days originated as pagan holidays in Sweden, Norway, Finland, United Kingdom and Ireland, [notice, these are all Israelite nations] and [they] survive in modern times as neo-pagan holidays. The Wiccans call the cross-quarter days "the Greater Shabbats," or the greater sabbaths. Let us look a bit deeper: The Wheel of the Year is a Wiccan and neo-pagan term for the annual cycle of the earth's seasons. It consists of eight festivals, spaced at approximately even intervals throughout the year. These festivals are referred to by Wiccans as Sabbats. Witchcraft's wheel of the year has eight special days, which I will review briefly. The dates are approximate, and they can vary by a week or so, depending on location and tradition: December 21st: the Winter Solstice connected with Christmas, and we know it has many pagan roots. February 1st: a cross-quarter day (half way between a Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox). It is associated with Groundhog Day (February 2nd) and Candlemas, a Catholic holiday supposedly celebrating the dedication of Christ at the Temple (40 days after Christmas).

March 21st: the Vernal Equinox. You all know that Easter is determined as the first Sunday after the full moon after March 21st.) We all know that the modern celebration of Easter has deep pagan roots. May 1st: This is a cross-quarter day, coming between the Vernal Equinox and the Summer Solstice. As I have pointed out, its various celebrations are connected with heat and light—with bonfires. It is a part of sun worship, where evil spirits come to the forefront of peoples' minds, just as they do in another pagan festival, six months later, Halloween. June 21st: the Summer Solstice August 1st: This is another cross-quarter day, falling half way between a Summer Solstice and Autumnal Equinox. Some pagans actually celebrated a "Festival of First Fruits" on the full moon closest to August 1st—talk about these days being counterfeits of God's true holy days. In America, many local corn festivals occur around this time. It is the national holiday of Switzerland. September 22nd: the Autumnal Equinox.

November 1st: This is another cross-quarter day, (like February 1st, May 1st, August 1st) falling half way between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice. It is also All Saints Day, Halloween falling the night before. It is also the occasion of Ancestor Day, or the Night of the Dead (November 2nd). November 1st is: considered by most Wiccans to be the most important of the four "greater Sabbats." [That is, the four cross-quarter days]. It is generally observed on October 31st in the Northern Hemisphere, starting at sundown [Notice, these "Sabbaths" start at sundown—another way in which they counterfeit God's true Sabbaths and holy days. [It] is considered by some Wiccans as a time ... [of] paying respect to ancestors, family members, elders of the faith , friends, pets and other loved ones who have died. ...

It is seen as a festival of darkness, which is balanced at the opposite point of the wheel by [May Day, 6 months away], which Wiccans celebrate as a festival of light and fertility [for example, with the bonfires of which we spoke]. Turn please, to Amos 5. We will get there in a few minutes. As we went along, I touched on some comparisons between Satan's Sabbaths and God's. At the most superficial level is the number of the occasions. Satan has eight. God also has eight if you count the non- Sabbath occasion of the Passover . Otherwise, God has seven Holy days compared to Satan's eight. Seven is the number of perfection. Eight is the number of new beginnings. How much Satan desires to build a new world, a new order, based on his way of life. He touts change, a movement to his worldview. In pop culture, how many songs talk about a new world? Roger Whittaker's 1971 folksong, New World in the Morning. John Lennon's dreadful Imagine. Leonard Bernstein's and Stephen Sondheim's Somewhere, in West Side Story All of these address the artist's hope for a new world.

There are many other examples in music and in literature. Even in art. The works of Thomas Kinkade shout the artist's vision of a new world. The adversary wants mankind to seek new ways. But, in Jeremiah 6:16 , to which I will not ask you to turn, God tells us to seek the "ancient paths". In Amos 5, God is speaking to a religious people, to Israel, but to a people who worshipped God on their own terms—the way they wanted to. God's judgment is severe. Amos 5:21-27 I hate, I despise your feasts! I can't stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. Even if you offer Me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept [them]; I will have no regard for your fellowship offerings of fattened cattle. Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice flow like water, and righteousness, like an unfailing stream. "House of Israel, was it sacrifices and grain offerings that you presented to Me during the 40 years in the wilderness?

But you have taken up Sakkuth your king and Kaiwan your star god, images you have made for yourselves. So I will send you into exile beyond Damascus." In John 4, Christ elaborates. Speaking to the Samaritan woman, Christ makes it clear that we cannot effectively worship God the way that we want to. John 4:23-24 But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. Isaiah 5:12 At their feasts they have lyre, harp, tambourine, flute, and wine. They do not perceive the LORD's actions, and they do not see the work of His hands. Therefore My people go into exile because they lack knowledge... This passage is very similar to Amos 5. In both Amos and Isaiah, the judgment is the same: exile. It is really quite interesting. Whether in the case of ancient Israel, or modern-day Israel, those who have turned to pagan practices do indeed see God's works.

But, they call it nature, and indeed Mother Nature, relating it to a fertility goddess. They talk about its beauty and order. Today, they produce magnificent—and very costly—computer-enhanced pictures of far-away galaxies. I have seen advanced imaging techniques put to use to document, beautifully, the human gestation process. But, then they abort the child. You see, they do not see God in His Own creation. They do not accept His Law and His rule in their lives. They do not see this order and this beauty as the work of His hands. They see nature as none has ever seen it before. But, they do not see God. Even with super-sophisticated instrumentation and technology at their disposal, modern-day Israelites have minds so darkened that they are unable to see God in His Own creation. Looking around at it, considering all the evil, taking in all of the vast landscape of a civilization in thrall to Satan, we are left only to gasp. That landscape rightfully upsets us and makes us indignant, as we sigh and cry over the depth and the scope of its depravity. But, I want to end on a more positive note. Turn please to Acts 26.

Paul, speaking there to Agrippa, recounts Christ's words to him years before, on the Damascus road. Interesting words, and words on which Paul must have reflected many times. In Acts 26:18 , God says that He was sending Paul to Israelite and Gentile alike— Acts 26:18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. That is the work of an Apostle, to turn people from Satan to God. And, to a lesser degree, it is our work now. And, it will be our work in the future. Please turn to Isaiah 42, where I will close. Yes, this is indeed the work of Christ. God here describes Christ's work: Isaiah 42:1 Behold My servant, whom I uphold, My chosen, in whom My soul delights; I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.

Skipping to verse 5, where the focus becomes God's people: Isaiah 42:5-9 Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, [the pagans cannot see God in His creation] who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: "I am the LORD; I have called you; [God here addresses us] I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD; that is My name; My glory I give to no other, nor My praise to carved idols. [No, not to maypoles.] Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; [the things of the World Tomorrow] before they spring forth I tell you of them." We will someday teach millions of others, now concluded in darkness, of better ways, opening their eyes to see God.

Let us all look forward to the time when the witches' sabbaths will be no more, but all will keep the Sabbath we observe today, in spirit and in truth. CFW/stf/vls Common Holidays in Relation to Equinoxes, Solstices & Cross-Quarter Days Common Holidays in Relation to Equinoxes, Solstices & Cross-Quarter Days Are you curious about (a) equinoxes and the like, (b) cultural transmission of holiday traditions, or (c) conspiracies of greeting card companies? Well, you've come to the right place. For my own amusement, I've put together a list from different sources of the most common national and religious holidays observed in the U.S., along with some older holidays tied rather directly to points in the Sun's annual journey around the sky, and the astronomical dates which underlie many of them. You've probably heard of the Spring and Fall Equinoxes (times of equal-length day and night) and the Summer and Winter Solstices (longest and shortest day, respectively) before. In current usage these each define the official beginning of a season -- for example, summer ``begins'' around June 21st.

However a less-used parallel system holds that June 21st is actually Midsummer's Day, which then requires the start of summer to be in early May. This date and three others like it are known as the Cross-Quarter Days, because they are evenly spaced between the fundamental Quarter Days of the Solstices and Equinoxes. The Cross-Quarter Days thus mark the middle of each season under our current system, or seasonal boundaries under the alternative system. Due to the insertion of a Leap Day on February 29th every four years, the exact dates of these eight astronomical events shift back and forth, with a total range of about 54 hours. Ancient peoples were very attentive to seasons and the Sun's position in the sky, because their livelihood depended on planting and harvesting at the proper times. All eight of the above-listed Days were observed as pagan holidays of one sort or another; a few, like Halloween, have survived to modern times in (somewhat) recognizable form. What is more interesting is the number of supposedly modern holidays which lie in close proximity to the same dates. Christmas (Winter Solstice) and Easter (Spring Equinox) are two obvious examples; one may make the argument that these holiday times were inherited.

Others are quite surprising -- like Father's Day (Summer Solstice)! What are the folks at Hallmark hiding from us? Of course, not everything lines up, and the nearness of Election Day to All Saints' must be pure coincidence. Right? January 1 - New Year's Day January 5 - Twelfth Night January 6 - Eastern Orthodox Christmas - Twelfth Day or Epiphany or Old Christmas January 20 - Inauguration Day - Saint Agnes' Eve - woman dreams of future husband 2nd New Moon after Winter Solstice - Chinese New Year (lunar calendar) February 2-6 1st Cross-Quarter Day February 2 - Groundhog Day - Candlemas or feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary or of the Presentation of the Child Jesus - 40th Day of Christmas - Imbolg / Imbolc (other Celtic names) or Brighid or Oimelc February 14 - Valentine's Day March 2nd Sunday - Begin U.S. Daylight Savings Time (clocks 1 hour forward) March 15 - Ides of March - 1st month middle, Roman calendar also assassination of Julius Caesar March 17 - St.

Patrick's Day - sowing of peas in Ireland March 19-21 1st Quarter Day - Spring (Vernal) Equinox March 21 - Ostara / Eostre (Saxon goddess of Spring) Full Moon after SE - Passover Following Sunday - Easter Previous Friday - Good Friday April 1 - All Fool's Day (old new year's day) April 30 - May Eve or Walpurgisnacht (witches' Sabbath) or Walpurgis Night (after St. Walpurga) May 1 - May Day - May Poles, May Queens, May-dew, etc. - Beltane / Bealtaine - Celtic bonfire festival May 4-7 2nd Cross-Quarter Day May 5 - Cinco de Mayo (Mexico) May 2nd Sunday - Mother's Day May last Monday - Memorial Day ("Decoration Day", officially May 30) June 14 - Flag Day June 3rd Sunday - Father's Day June 20-22 2nd Quarter Day - Summer Solstice June 21 - Litha (Norse/Anglo-Saxon for "longest day") June 23 - St.

John's Eve - European Midsummer celebration July 1 - Dominion Day (Canada) July 4 - Independence Day (U.S.) August 1 - Lammas ("loaf mass") - harvest festival or festival of St.

Peter's Chains or of the Maccabees or of the Gule ("mouth") of August - Lugnasad - Gaelic summer "games of Lug" (sun-god) or Lughnasada or Lunasa August 5-8 3rd Cross-Quarter Day September 1st Mon - Labor Day September 21-24 3rd Quarter Day - Fall (Autumnal) Equinox September 21 - Mabon (Welsh for "son") New Moon after FE - Rosh ha-Shanah (Jewish New Year) 10 days later - Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement") October 2nd Monday - Thanksgiving (Canada) October 31 - Hallowe'en or All Hallows E'en or Hallowmas Eve November 1 - Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead (Mexico) - All Saints' Day or Hallowmas or Allhallowmas or Allhallows - Samhain - Celtic feast of departing Sun & new year or All Souls' Night November 2 - All Soul's Day - prayer for souls in purgatory November 1st Sun. - End U.S.

Daylight Savings Time (clocks 1 hour back) November 1st Tues after 1st Mon - U.S. Election Day November 5-8 4th Cross-Quarter Day November 5 - Guy Fawkes Day November 11 - Veterans' Day (World War I Armistice Day) - Martinmas (death of St. Martin) or Martinmas-in-Winter November 4th Thurs - Thanksgiving (U.S.) December 13 - St. Lucy's Day ("the year's midnight") December 19 - Saturnalia - Roman midwinter festival, 7 days long December 20-23 4th Quarter Day - Winter Solstice December 21 - Yule (Norse for "wheel") - Germanic 12-day feast December 24 - Christmas Eve December 25 - Christmas Day December 31 - New Year's Eve Notes Exact determination of dates for Chinese New Year, Easter, and Rosh Hashanah is a bit more complex than given here; see Explanatory Supplement reference below for details.

Pagan Quarter and Cross-Quarter Days (Wiccan Sabbats) may be in slight error; some practitioners observe them at the astronomically correct time, while others adhere to rigid dates (e.g., Feb 1 or Mar 21). References The Astronomical Companion (1979) by Guy Ottewell, Universal Workshop The History of May Day | Education The History of May Day Thursday, April 30, 2015 18:07 % of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents. (Before It's News) 1st May is treated as a holiday in much of the world. Celebrations, rituals, festivities and protests take place across the planet on the 1st May, or in some countries, the following Monday. Through the course of history however, the date’s meaning has changed and evolved, developing from pagan roots into an occasion that has come to be synonymous with workers’ rights, class action and trade unionism. Astronomical Origins Like so many modern celebrations and festivals, May Day is ultimately grounded in astronomy.

1st May is one of the year’s four cross-quarter days, (a day that falls between a solstice and an equinox) in this case falling between the March equinox and the Spring solstice. Another widely celebrated cross quarter day is Halloween, on October 31st. Pagan Past Celebrations connected to 1st May, and the cross quarter day, were present in a host of pre-Christian cultures. The Celtic festival of Beltane is connected to the invigorating power of the sun as summer moves closer. Beltane festivals are a celebration of fertility and life. Ancient rituals included lighting fires which livestock were driven through, and people danced around in the direction of the sun. For pagan Romans, May Day was a day of dancing and festivities to acknowledge the coming of spring and celebrate the life of Flora, the goddess of fruit and flowers. The most iconic symbol of May Day, a maypole, originates from ancient Germanic pagan traditions. The large wooden poles, traditionally the trunk of a birch tree, started to be erected in villages in England in the sixteenth century. Centres of community bonding, maypoles were incorporated into folk dance routines (many of which are still performed today) and raucous celebration.

Following the Reformation and the rise of Puritanism in England many May Day celebrations were banned by the Church of England, due to their association with paganism. Nevertheless, the festivities persisted in rural areas and the day is still acknowledged today through various folk festivals and dancing. International Workers’ Day Of course, 1st May is also celebrated as International Workers’ Day, a commemoration completely devoid of any religious meaning, whether christian or pagan. Coincidentally, May Day was used by some in Medieval England as an occasion to celebrate the life and achievements of Robin Hood, the legendary English outlaw famed for stealing from the rich to give to the poor, providing an interesting connection to the symbolism May Day came to represent in the nineteenth century. International Workers’ Day originated in the struggle for improved workers’ rights in the late nineteenth century, particularly in the USA. This was a period when industrial workers were made to work long days, up to sixteen hours, in dangerous conditions. Socialist organisations sprung up around the world to campaign for improved rights and to challenge the dominance of the wealthy in the political system.

At its convention in 1884, the Federation of Organised Trade and Labour Unions declared that from the 1st May 1886, an eight hour day should become a standard, legalised day’s labour in the USA. Across the United States on May Day 1886, thousands of workers went on strike to demand the implementation of an eight hour day. In Chicago, on 3rd May, the strikes turned violent. A confrontation between police and strikers at the McCormick Reaper Works saw police open fire on the strikers, following accusations they had hurled a bomb at the police. Several workers were killed in the confrontation, and the following day a protest took place at Haymarket Square in Chicago which descended into a riot, leaving seven police officers and one civilian dead. In August, eight men, labelled anarchists, were convicted for involvement in the riot. Seven of the men were given the death penalty while the eighth was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. The series of events, from the initial killings to the trials and executions, came to be known as the Haymarket Affair.

On the one hand it tightened anti-labour feelings, while on the other it caused outrage among labour movements, and socialist and anarchist groups around the world. 1st May, the date when the original protest to win the eight hour day was meant to start, has since been memorialised internationally as International Workers’ Day, to commemorate the Haymarket Affair. Around the world it is associated with protests and demonstrations over social, political and economic issues. Mayday and the Celtic festival of Bealtaine | Irish Archaeology You are here: Home > Mayday and the Celtic festival of Bealtaine Mayday and the Celtic festival of Bealtaine By Colm on May 1, 2011 in Archaeology blogs , Short Histories In Ireland Mayday is surrounded by a rich folklore tradition, most of which dates from 19th century. These beliefs give an insight into the mindset of a earlier, more rural Ireland where the spirit world and superstition still prevailed. While archaeologists are mainly concerned with the physical remains of past cultures, folklore can help us understanding how some of these people thought and why they carried out the actions they did.

Mayday corresponds with the Irish festival of La Bealtaine, which officially heralded the beginning of the summer. Its name appears to derive from the Old Irish words Bel taine meaning ‘bright fire’ and it was surrounded by a large number of folk beliefs some of which had possible pagan origins. As the name of the festival suggests bonfires played an important part in the activities and were often lit on prominent local landmarks with the Hill of Uisneach in Co. Westmeath being the most famous example. A particularly common tradition involved driving herds of cows between two bonfires in the belief that this would purify the herd and also bring luck. It was also deemed unlucky to give away salt, fire or water on Mayday as the luck and profits of a farm went with these gifts. Witches and the fairies were also believed to be unusually active during this period and a number of actions could be taken to protect your home and especially your livestock. Milk could be poured across the threshold of the house or byre to prevent entry by the ‘wee folk’ or more gruesomely the cattle could be driven to the nearest ringfort or “fairyfort” and some of their blood spilt on the ground to appease the spirits.

Ringforts are the classic early medieval settlement type and were long abandoned by the 19thand 20th centuries when they had become associated with the fairy folk. May flowers left on the doorstep to ward of evil May flowers, such as primrose, gorse or hawthorn blossoms, were gathered before dawn and placed in bundles on door posts to ward off evil. Similarly sprigs of rowan or hawthorn could be placed over the byre door or even across the horns of the cows to prevent ‘milk thieves’, the prevalent belief being that someone could steal your summer’s milk supplies through the incantation of specific curses. Hawthorn bush in flower ‘May bushes’were also erected in farm yards and around villages. These normally consisted of hawthorn branches that had been driven into the ground and then decorated with rags and other items. The following account from the 1930’s details the erection of a May bush in Taghmon, Co. Wexford. ‘It is a custom in the Taghmon district to hold celebrations on the first day of May with a May bush. A number of boys go out in the country armed with a saw or hatched.

They cut a blackthorn bush or sceach. They then get an old bucket and fill it with clay. They stick the bush down in it and take it to a waste bit of land in the neighbour-hood of the village. Then they start to decorate the bush with coloured papers, candles, painted eggshells and pictures. Then they select a king and queen. The king and queen take it up and march around the streets with it. The people give them pennies. Then in the end they burn the May bush and spend their money. This custom has been carried on in Taghmon as long as the oldest resident can remember‘ Some traditions also surrounded human fertility, such as the creation of May babies. In this curious custom a figure of a female (the May baby) was placed on a pole and then covered in flowers, ribbons and straw. A man and a woman, also dressed up in costume, would then dance around the figure and make vulgar displays to the on watching crowd. It was believed that attending this spectacle would help people trying to conceive.

Links/References + Von Del Chamberlain + When we reach the first of May, Earth has moved along its orbit to where the Northern Hemisphere is receiving an ever increasing flow of energy as each day is longer than the one before. The Sun is climbing in our sky, and everything in the Northern Hemisphere responds to its light. Indeed, we best be careful not to overdose on its luminosity that can burn and even cause cancerous effects that doctors warn about. We have reached the cross-quarter date that some past ages have considered to be the start of summer. In Celtic tradition, the night of April 30 was thought of as the darkest of the year, when witches flew to frighten, spawning evil throughout the land. In response, people pounded on kettles, slammed doors, cracked whips, rang church bells and made all the noise they could to scare off the corruption they imagined to be moving on the moist air. They lit bonfires and torches and witch- proofed their houses with spring boughs. Such vigils were kept throughout the night until the rising of the May-dawn. Beltane--the word means "brilliant fire" in reference to the Sun--became more commonly known as May Day.

People danced around bonfires on hilltops, moving in a clockwise, or "sunwise" direction. Later generations would dance around a pole instead of a fire. In the British Isles young men and maidens would go a-Maying on the eve of May Day, spending all night in the forests to return at day-break, "bringing in the May," adorning villages with spring boughs and blossoms. They might carry with them the stem of a tree, place it in the village, and decorate it with flowers, vines and ribbons. In later generations, people would dance around this phallic of the earth as participants in the fertility of crops, flocks, herds and humans. The celebration was for regeneration of life that comes with increased sunlight that is so noticeable when we reach the junction between vernal equinox and summer solstice. Maypoles remain common in Scandinavian countries, and the trimmings are often left through summer and winter as a gesture to symbolically insure the coming of spring the following year. The meanings of the day have continued to change. In 1887, socialistic countries established May 1 as a day for working people to show unity in public demonstrations.

In communist Russia, the day became one of political speeches and military parades. It is difficult to imagine drifting much farther from the origins of the occasion of reaching the point in our annual travels around our star when we feel the urge to celebrate the increase of starlight that falls upon our portion of ground to amplify the symphony of life around us. Maypoles seem so much more appropriate than do missiles aimed at the sky. It is, after all, the location of Earth in its solar orbit that we celebrate on any anniversary. Your birthday, Independence Day, Christmas and all the others that are date specific are established by Earth's orbit and are marked by reference to the Sun in our sky. If you wish, you could mark these days by knowing where the Sun would rise as viewed from some specific observing station. Your horizon calendar would be defined by the limiting northern and southern gateways for sunrise or sunset at summer and winter solstices. The equinox would mark the mid-point, and the cross-quarter dates could provide additional reference points for visualization of the passage of the year. You could add your own personal anniversaries that you wish to celebrate with the entrance and exit of the Sun on those particular days.

Native Americans occupying this land before us were watching the Sun migrate on the horizon. When it reached the place we have named "May" they were singing the songs that brought them into harmony with the fertility of Mother Earth and Father Sky. Their rewards were gentle rains, mixed with sunlight. Successively, as the Sun reached established "houses" on their horizons, they placed seeds in the soil: several plantings to assure good crops. Calendar keeping people also watch the stars. In early May the evening sky in the west is marked by an arc of brilliant stars. Sirius in Canis Major, brightest star of the night is low to the southwest, setting in the dusk. Higher and a bit farther north is Procyon in Canis Minor. Then we come to the bright pair, Castor and Pollux, the Twins of Gemini. Still farther north is yellow-cast Capella in Auriga. Capella being the last of the group to set gives its name to this star- lit arch--"Arc of Capella." Underneath the arch, vanishing from the evening sky, are famous winter stars.

As May comes in, the Pleiades, a tightly-clustered group in the constellation Taurus, vanishes in the evening twilight, and mighty Orion follows them. Both groups have long been used for agriculture. The Navajo people refer to the Pleiades as Dilyehe'. "Never let Dilyehe' see you plant," they say. Once the Pleiades are gone from the evening it is time to begin planting in Navajoland, and crops must be started before Dilyehe' is back in the early morning sky before the dawn. The cross-quarter day that is only vaguely remembered these days in the form of May Day certainly signals the onset of the most pleasant of times in our part of the world. Leaves are bursting out on trees, flowers in all the colors of the rainbow appear on deserts and make their way into the mountains. Farmers work fields and backyard-gardeners plant vegetables and herbs. This is a good time to look around at earth and sky with greater sensitivity and appreciation of emerging abundance that initiates the harvest we will surely enjoy in a few short months. This article was modified from the original to serve as an information source for all May Day cross-quarter events.

Question: Which Celtic quarter day falls on the 1st of May?
Answer: BELTANE