Other holidays besides the Sabbats?

[Xiao Rong]

(hope this is the right section for this topic!)

I'm very curious to know - what holidays do you celebrate besides the Sabbats? Do they come from other traditions? How do you celebrate them and why?

I'll start it off - Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are really important to me (the last because it's important family time, even though almost no one in my family is actually Christian). But in addition, Lunar New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival (both of which are important Chinese holidays) are part of my yearly calendar, because of their connections with family and seasonality. Since I've begun identifying as a pagan, now the equinoxes and solstices are an important part of my year as well.

How about y'all?

[Kassandra]

...Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are really important to me (the last because it's important family time, even though almost no one in my family is actually Christian)...

You're so right. Yeah, the "holidays" themselves are not important to me, as much as people I care about, and who care about me, taking time out of our busy lives to just be together for a few hours. That's all that matters --if they have to have Christmas tree or a Thanksgiving turkey to make them happy at such a time, fine with me. Most of us have time off of work on holidays, so it's a practicality issue, as well.

I like to make a big deal about peoples' birthdays. They are neutral religiously-speaking, and are flattering to the person whose birthday it is. In a sense our birthdays are "personal holy days," and you have all the same trappings as you have with any religious holiday --food, drink, laughter, gifts, etc.

.

[Xiao Rong]

Ooh, birthdays - that's a really good point!

[MOTHERofDRAGONS]

Heck, you can make any day a holiday. We have freakin Flag day here in America.

We have Cinco de Mayo in America.
And we see it as (well some see it) as a day just to get drunk on Mexican beer.

It's a Mexican holiday.
St Patricks day (AKA All Snakes Day) to some Pagans... Given rumors to what the "holiday" is really about...

Vantetines day (another not so good history with Pagans) but, hey, It's now been converted into candy, teddy bears and balloons for love to some Americans... I guess it depends on your perspective.

It's ALL A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE

Good luck on your endeavors

)0(
Blessings
M~Dragons

[Firebird]

EARTH DAY! I think this should be an International Holiday. It's coming up...April 22, ...actually it should be a week long holiday, filled with clean up projects...mountain, desert, beach and city ( garbage is everywhere), recycling, plant sharing, tree planting, self sustaining workshops, impact friendly dwelling plans, water saving techniques...sheeze it could go on and on...then there would be ceremonies honoring the earth, giving reverence and offerings, and Thanks.
We need Earth Day to be a bigger deal.
Yes?
FF

[MOTHERofDRAGONS]

Arbor Day is coming too!

M~Dragons

[Kassandra]

.

EARTH DAY! I think this should be an International Holiday....We need Earth Day to be a bigger deal. Yes?

Nice call, FF. Every day should be Earth Day (when it's your home ). Pagans and witches often invoke "the elements," which might be considered the body parts of "Terra, Sol III," as I like to call her. It's nice to have a day to celebrate how she grounds us, provides us refuge, heals us. We're doing a group clean-up thing in my area, then bbq afterward. Yes, we need it to be one BFD, hahaha.


@M ~ Dragons:
Do you celebrate Arbor Day? I've never celebrated it. If so, what activities do you guys do?


.

[Xiao Rong]

Earth Day is such an excellent suggestion!

[MOTHERofDRAGONS]

I plant many trees, in designated areas, where water sources are available...( my fav) WILLOWS!!

I have a deep connection with them, my entire family does..

M~ Dragons

[SnowCat]

We celebrate Feline Day at my house. Every day. Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.

Frosty

[-Dark-Moon-]

Snowcat, everyday is Caturday here too!

I love my little furry creatures!

I Have a nice Bast statue to celebrate them and protect them.

Blessings

[Firebird]

Bwaaahahaha!! that is great Snow Cat!! LMAO!!
I see it now ...(I never recognized this before!) our cats have extended staff.... all of the neighborhood!!!

[raynelae]

My cat owns our car! It's her bed lol! Yes, every day is Feline Day!! Anyways, I think Earth Day should be a bigger deal. It'd be nice to see people practicing it each and every day.

[Xiao Rong]

Happy Earth Day, everyone!

[Firebird]

Merry Earth Day to you, Xiao!!! and to all , be extra good to our Mother today and share a toast with her, an offering, a blessing of goodness to come.
Slainte!
Firebird