Blog — Gaelic Seasonal Festivals
Samhain: 13 Facts About Halloween’s Celtic Roots
Christopher Conway Gaelic Seasonal Festivals Samhain
Over the years, the popularity of Halloween has grown exponentially. It has spawned a multi-billion dollar industry which includes movies, costumes, trick-or-treat candy and haunted attractions, yet few of its passionate celebrants understand the holiday’s ancient origin. Here are 13 facts about its Celtic roots to keep you up at night.
Lughnasadh: Celebrating the First Harvest
Colleen Berry Conway Celtic Festival First Harvest Gaelic Seasonal Festivals Lammas Lugh Lughnasadh Lunasa
Lughnasadh: Celebrating the First Harvest As summer's warmth enters its prime, the earth bears the fruits of its labor, and nature's bounty is ready for harvest. In the Wheel of the Year cycle of seasonal festivals, this moment is marked by Lughnasadh, a traditional Celtic festival that celebrates the first harvest. Lughnasadh (pronounced LOO-nuh-suh) is a time of both gratitude for the season's abundance and anticipation for the approaching autumn. Lughnasadh has deep roots in Celtic history and mythology, tracing back to ancient times when it was a significant agricultural festival. It marked the beginning of the harvest season, specifically...
Imbolc: The Gaelic Festival Explained
Colleen Berry Conway Brigid's Day Feast of St. Brigid Gaelic Seasonal Festivals Imbolc
Imbolc: The Gaelic Festival Explained As inhabitants of this Earth, we are at the mercy of the seasons. From harvesting foods to tending to livestock, the weather and hours of sunlight determine how and when we conduct ourselves to survive. And while modern practices such as greenhouses, factory farming and hydroponics create conditions less dependent on temperatures, the need to agriculturally align ourselves with the divisions of our calendar year remains necessary. Think back to a time when there were no indoor options for gardening and animal husbandry. The cycles of the seasons were observed, obeyed and - most importantly - celebrated....