Our Events
To our Celtic ancestors time was circular rather than linear. Their year was a circle of events as season followed season with the whole cycle starting over and over again. Within Sylvan Celtic Fellowship we seek to honor this way by celebrating the four great seasonal festivals that our forbearers knew. Our Druids preside over rituals at our feast times for our tribes and the general public. The feast days as we celebrate them are:
-Imbolc: Coming at lambing time, around 31 January to February 2nd, Imbolc (or Oimelc) celebrated the beginning of the end of winter. Also known by the names; Lá Fhéile Bríde in Irish, Là Fhèill Brìghde in Scots Gaelic, Laa'l Breeshey in Manx, and Gŵyl Fair y Canhwyllau in Welsh, this day is sacred to the Goddess Brighid.
-Beltainne: Beltainne, celebrated around 1 May or celebrated when the local hawthorn trees are in bloom, is another fire festival; but whereas Samhain is associated with going to ground, and withdrawing, Beltainne burst forth with an abundant fertility. Also known by the names; Lá Bealtaine in Irish, Là Bealltainn in Scots Gaelic, Laa Boaltinn/Boaldyn in Manx, and Calan Mai in Welsh, this day is sacred to Belenos.
-Lughnassadh: Lughnassadh is a summer festival lasting for as long as two weeks either side of the day itself, which fell around 31 July-August 1st. It was said to have been introduced to Ireland by the god Lugh, and so was sacred to this god. Also known by the names; Lúnasa in Modern Irish, Lùnastal in Scottish Gaelic, Luanistyn in Manx, and Gŵyl Awst in Welsh.
-Samhain: The Celtic year began with Samhain. Celebrated around 31 October-Nov. 1st, it is a time when the veil between this world and the Otherworld is thought to be so thin that the dead could return to warm themselves at the hearths of the living. The night of 31 October is Oíche Shamhna inIrish, Oidhche Shamhna in Scots Gaelic and Oie Houney in Manx, all meaning "Samhain night". 1 November, or the whole festival, may be called Lá Samhna in Irish, Là Samhna in Scots Gaelic and Laa Houney in Manx, all meaning "Samhain day" Similar festivals are held at the same time of year in other Celtic lands; for example the Brythonic Calan Gaeaf in Wales, Kalan Gwav in Cornwall, and Kalan Goañv in Brittany.
It is our tradition in Sylvan Celtic Fellowship for our Druids to hold publically these four festivals on the Saturdays closest to the day. This is so that anyone who wishes may attend as well as our clanns and tribes from around the area may gather in a reunion atmosphere. We hope that our feast times can be true celebrations that are fun for everyone as well as a spiritual time. We see a time when members of clanns and tribes can bring their crafts to trade with one another as well as enjoying one another’s company and the day itself.
As for the other times on the modern eight-fold wheel of the year, well we hope that our hearths, clanns, and tribes can craft their own meaningful rituals and celebrations for the folk who are part of them. We see our spirituality as a growing one and hope that our people can create rites of passage that become their own tribal traditions. Each hearth, clann, or tribe will be able to create their own path that will be similar but differ from one another. As these groups grow and change, so will their traditions, creating a living spirituality.
To our Celtic ancestors time was circular rather than linear. Their year was a circle of events as season followed season with the whole cycle starting over and over again. Within Sylvan Celtic Fellowship we seek to honor this way by celebrating the four great seasonal festivals that our forbearers knew. Our Druids preside over rituals at our feast times for our tribes and the general public. The feast days as we celebrate them are:
-Imbolc: Coming at lambing time, around 31 January to February 2nd, Imbolc (or Oimelc) celebrated the beginning of the end of winter. Also known by the names; Lá Fhéile Bríde in Irish, Là Fhèill Brìghde in Scots Gaelic, Laa'l Breeshey in Manx, and Gŵyl Fair y Canhwyllau in Welsh, this day is sacred to the Goddess Brighid.
-Beltainne: Beltainne, celebrated around 1 May or celebrated when the local hawthorn trees are in bloom, is another fire festival; but whereas Samhain is associated with going to ground, and withdrawing, Beltainne burst forth with an abundant fertility. Also known by the names; Lá Bealtaine in Irish, Là Bealltainn in Scots Gaelic, Laa Boaltinn/Boaldyn in Manx, and Calan Mai in Welsh, this day is sacred to Belenos.
-Lughnassadh: Lughnassadh is a summer festival lasting for as long as two weeks either side of the day itself, which fell around 31 July-August 1st. It was said to have been introduced to Ireland by the god Lugh, and so was sacred to this god. Also known by the names; Lúnasa in Modern Irish, Lùnastal in Scottish Gaelic, Luanistyn in Manx, and Gŵyl Awst in Welsh.
-Samhain: The Celtic year began with Samhain. Celebrated around 31 October-Nov. 1st, it is a time when the veil between this world and the Otherworld is thought to be so thin that the dead could return to warm themselves at the hearths of the living. The night of 31 October is Oíche Shamhna inIrish, Oidhche Shamhna in Scots Gaelic and Oie Houney in Manx, all meaning "Samhain night". 1 November, or the whole festival, may be called Lá Samhna in Irish, Là Samhna in Scots Gaelic and Laa Houney in Manx, all meaning "Samhain day" Similar festivals are held at the same time of year in other Celtic lands; for example the Brythonic Calan Gaeaf in Wales, Kalan Gwav in Cornwall, and Kalan Goañv in Brittany.
It is our tradition in Sylvan Celtic Fellowship for our Druids to hold publically these four festivals on the Saturdays closest to the day. This is so that anyone who wishes may attend as well as our clanns and tribes from around the area may gather in a reunion atmosphere. We hope that our feast times can be true celebrations that are fun for everyone as well as a spiritual time. We see a time when members of clanns and tribes can bring their crafts to trade with one another as well as enjoying one another’s company and the day itself.
As for the other times on the modern eight-fold wheel of the year, well we hope that our hearths, clanns, and tribes can craft their own meaningful rituals and celebrations for the folk who are part of them. We see our spirituality as a growing one and hope that our people can create rites of passage that become their own tribal traditions. Each hearth, clann, or tribe will be able to create their own path that will be similar but differ from one another. As these groups grow and change, so will their traditions, creating a living spirituality.