Cross Quarter Days
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Cross Quarter Days are a set of four holidays that fall about halfway between the solstices and equinoxes. These days have been celebrated for centuries in various cultures around the world and have a rich history and significance. In the Wheel of the year, the Cross Quarter Days correspond with the celebrations of Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain.
The origins of Cross Quarter Days goes back much further than the modern Wheel of the Year. These days were celebrated by many ancient cultures, including the Celts, the Norse, and the Romans. These cultures saw these holidays as a way to mark the passing of the seasons and to give thanks for the blessings of nature.
Imbolc
The first Cross Quarter Day of the calendar year is Imbolc, which is celebrated on February 1st in the Northern Hemisphere and August 1st in the Southern Hemisphere. This holiday marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Often associated with the Celtic Goddess Brigid, Imbolc was known as Candlemas in medieval times, as it was traditional to light candles on this day to welcome the return of the sun.
Beltane
The second Cross Quarter Day of the calendar year is Beltane, which is celebrated on May 1st in the Northern Hemisphere and November 1st in the Southern Hemisphere. This holiday marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Beltane is a time of fertility and growth, and it is traditional to decorate with flowers and perform fertility rituals. Beltane is also known as May Day and is associated with the goddess Flora.
Grab Your Free Cross Quarte Day Printable. Be sure to check out the Free Member’s Library for more Mabon House Printables.
Lughnasadh
The third Cross Quarter Day of the calendar year is Lughnasadh, which is celebrated on August 1st in the Northern Hemisphere. This holiday marks the beginning of the harvest season and is a time of thanksgiving. It is traditional to hold feasts and give thanks for the bounty of the earth. Lughnasadh is also known as Lammas and is associated with the Welsh god Lugh.
Samhain
The fourth and final Cross Quarter Day of the calendar year is Samhain, which is celebrated on October 31st in the Northern Hemisphere. This celebration marks the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of spring in the Southern Hemisphere. Samhain is a time of remembering the dead and is often associated with Halloween. It is traditional to leave food and drink out for the spirits of the deceased. This custom can be seen today in the Latin American celebration of the Day of the Dead.
Despite their ancient roots, Cross Quarter Days are still very much a part of modern culture. Many people continue to celebrate these holidays as a way to connect with the natural world and to honor the cyclical nature of life. Cross Quarter Days are a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and practice living intentionally with the seasons.
References and SUGGESTED READING
There are lots of great books that discuss the history of the Wheel of the Year and offer ideas for modern celebrations of the Cross Quarter Days.
Wicca Demystified by Bryan Lankford gives a good overview of modern Wiccan observances of the Wheel of the Year
Follow the Mabon House Adventures
Cross-Quarter Days and The Wheel of the Year
Disclaimer: This website uses affiliate links, meaning: at no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. If you’d prefer to support local retailers in your area, independent booksellers can often order specific books for you and have them delivered to the store for pick up, for the same price as ordering online.
The Wheel of the Year is divided into eight seasonal celebrations. Four of these seasons (Yule, Ostara, Litha and Mabon) align with either a solstice or equinox. The other four seasonal celebrations (Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasadh) are midpoints within a season, also known as a cross-quarter day. These four days are rooted in ancient Irish Celtic culture as seasonal fire festivals. Today, the cross-quarter days offer an opportunity to pause reflect, set intentions, and give thanks.
Early Origins of the Cross-Quarter Days
Seasonal observances are largely universal in ancient cultures. Astrology, lunar phases and seasonal changes all served as a guide for ancient communities. Planting, harvesting and hunting were all done in cadence with these monthly and seasonal changes happening throughout the year.
In Irish lore, cross-quarter days are also known as the ancient Celtic fire festivals, as bonfires figure prominently in the celebration of each one. It’s important to note that according to Irish mythology, the ancient Irish Celts marked the start of each season with these fire festivals, rather than viewing them as a midpoint for each season. As Christianity spread throughout Europe in the early Middle Ages the traditional fire festivals/ cross-quarter days were incorporated into the Church calendar as various saints days. As late as the 19th Century, cross-quarter days were when British and Irish tradition servants hired, rents due and school terms started.
Cross Quarter Days and The wheel of the year
Within the Wheel of the Year, cross-quarter days each fall exactly at the midpoint (cross) of each season (quarter). Samhain is the midpoint between Autumn and Winter; Imbolc is the midpoint between Winter and Spring; Beltane is the midpoint between spring and summer; Lughnasadh is the midpoint between summer and autumn. Today, modern pagans and those following a nature based spiritual path observe these seasonal midpoints in a variety of ways, including festivals, parties and feasting.
One of the reasons I follow the Wheel of the Year is because I am drawn to the natural cadence of the seasons. My energy ebbs and flows with natural sunlight and I draw strength from the long periods of rest in the darker months. The cross-quarter days are always a time of transition for me - it is when I balance being present and enjoying the current season, while also looking ahead and thinking about what I need to get done.
Do you follow the Wheel of the Year? Share in the comments below or over on Instagram
References & Recommended Reading
The Modern Witchcraft Guide to the Wheel of the Year (affliate link)
https://www.almanac.com/quarter-days-and-cross-quarter-days
https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/halloween-derived-from-ancient-celtic-cross-quarter-day/ https://www.learnreligions.com/quarter-days-and-cross-quarter-days-2562061
More about the wheel of the year
Follow the Mabon House Adventures
A History of Samhain
Disclaimer: This website uses affiliate links, meaning: at no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. If you’d prefer to support local retailers in your area, independent booksellers can often order specific books for you and have them delivered to the store for pick up, for the same price as ordering online.
Samhain (pronounced Sah-Win) is an ancient Celtic festival that celebrates the last harvest of the season. Along with harvest celebrations, Samhain was also a time for remembering loved ones who have died. Many ancient Samhain traditions were woven into early Christian holidays, while other Samhain practices are still used today by witches, pagan and others who seek a spiritual path guided by the rhythm of the seasons.
Ancient Celtic Celebration of Samhain
Gaelic for Summer’s End, Samhain was believed to be a time for the earth to rest before another growing season started in the spring. Cattle were moved from the hills to the pasture for winter and the last of the harvest was gathered and stored for the long winter months. Once the work was complete, folks celebrated with bonfires and festivals.
It is believed that ancient Celtic tradition started each new day at sundown, versus the modern practice of sunrise. And so Samhain celebrations would begin at sundown on or around October 31st. Some modern pagan and Wiccan groups celebrate Samhain when the sun reaches 15 degrees scorpio, which is the exact midpoint between Autumn and Winter. Others opt to celebrate Samhain at the second full moon after Mabon.
According to Judy Ann Nock in her book The Modern Witchcraft Guide to the Wheel of the Year ancient Celts viewed Samhain as the time of Cailleach, the crone who rules the winter season, and offerings and sacrifices were made to her.
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Christianity, Samhain and Halloween
As Christianity grew throughout Europe during the Roman Empire and into the Middle Ages, many pagan holidays were adopted into the Christian Calendar, to promote assimilation to this new religion. In the Germanic lands, Ostara became Easter. In the British Isles Lughnasadh became Lammas and in Ireland, Samhain became All Saints Day (November 1) and All Souls Days (November 2).
According to Wicca Demystified by Bryan Lankford, the demonic aspects of Halloween are courtesy of the Medieval Christian Church, who turned stories of fairies into tales of demons, and ancestral spirits into doomed ghosts. The copting of pagan beliefs was another way that the Early CHristian church could solidify its power over conquered people. Salvation was only possible through the church and to deviate would result in your soul wandering in purgatory or worse. Costumes were worn during All Saints and Souls days to ward off evil spirits. The Irish emigration in the 19th Century brought these beliefs and customs to America, where they have solidified into a secular modern holiday we know as Halloween.
The Veil Between The Living and Dead
By the end of the harvest season, ancient Celts believed that by the end of October, the God had exhausted himself giving life to crops and died, causing the Goddess to enter a period of mourning which would last until the Winter Solstice. This may be one of the reasons that Samhain is believed to be a time when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest. Spirits can return to the life they left behind, and for one night, be close to their loved ones. It was (and still is) common to set up an altar with tokens of loved ones past or to leave an extra place setting at the table. According to Skye Alexander, in her book The Modern Guide to Witchcraft, Jack-o-lanterns were originally used as beacons for wandering spirits to help guide them home. The scary faces carved into the pumpkins were used to deter malevolent spirits from bothering the living.
Celebrating loved ones who have died is a global practice. The celebration of the Day of the Dead is another example of how ancient traditions, this time of pre-columbian mesoamerica, were blended with Christian All Saints & All Souls days, to form a new modern celebration.
Because of the strong connection between the living and the dead, Samhain is a popular time for contacting spirits through tarot or runes readings.
Modern Samhain & Witchcraft
Samhain marks a sacred day for practicing witches. It is seen as the beginning of the Witches' Year, when the cycle of death and rebirth begins once again. It’s time to let go of the things that no longer serve you and start afresh. Just as with a conventional new year, Samhain is a good time to set intentions for the months ahead. The Mabon House Wheel of the Year Planner is a great tool to help you organize your spiritual path and practice.
Samhain is a time of both life and death. The growing season is finished and the earth can rest. While it marks the start of a new Wheel of the Year, Samhain is also a time to remember departed family and friends. This balance of light and dark helps keep us rooted to love, while encouraging hope for the new seasons of life ahead.
How are you celebrating Samhain? Share in the comments below or over on Instagram.
