Seasons - the Wheel of the Year

There are Eight Spokes on the Wheel:Click for exact dates to 2010!

1. Midpoint - (around October 30) Samhain, Halloween, the beginning of Winter, the Celtic New Year, the harvest of the meat, Hernes night, the Day of the Dead (dia de los muertos), All Saint's Eve

2. Winter Solstice - (around December 20) when the night lasts longest and the sun is weakest. The birth of the Sun/son...Yule, mid-winder, Hanukkah festival of lights, Diwali, Christmas etc.

3. Midpoint - (around Feb 2) Imbolc, groundhog's day, purification of Mary, seed sorting time, the original end date of winter

4. Vernal Equinox - (around March 20) Eostre, sometimes Easter, shortly before this the chickens, who naturally ovulate on the sun cycle, start laying eggs...time for Spring cleaning, clearing, and cleansing...

5. Midpoint - (around May 1) Beltane, may day, workers holiday, assumption of Mary, enlightenment of Buddha and the beginning of Summer, chickens loose their winter feathers (great for hats)

6. Summer Solstice - (around June 20) The longest day, Midsummersdag, Litha, journeytime, a fire ritual holy day, the height of the Sun's power

7. Midpoint - (around August 2) Lughnasaad, the first harvest of the grain, John Barleycorn's Day and the last of Summer

8. Autumnal Equinox - (around September 20) Lammas, the fruit harvest, Baccus' Festival...shortly after lammas the chickens stop laying and molt for winter..time for fall cleaning, clearing and cleansing

The 4 quarterly events are Solar (marked by the Earth's relationship to the sun).
The 4 midpoint events were celebrated on the full moon falling half way between the two solar events.

From the beginning of time, humans have pondered and celebrated these times of the year. Ancient astronomy and astrology has monuments to the significance of these points in the year. The Pyramids of Egypt, the Granges and Henges of Europe, and the Pyramids of Teotuhacan are just a few. The 8 spokes of seasonal change have been important to agrarian societies from the Neanderthal to the Old Farmers Almanac!

Human religious traditions have been built on these transitional times. Nearly every culture has rituals that link to these seasonal points whether religious or secular. Indeed, non-religious folks mark these transitions, because transitions deserve ritual!

The Discovering Origins/Building Traditions Project creates public entertainment near these holy days and on the themes they represent.

Medicine Wheels (more on circles)