Yule is a word easily understood to be directly related to Christmas. This holiday came from old Pagan roots. The solstices and equinoxes are marked down in our calendars next to holidays because of their association with longest and shortest days of the year. But all of these can be consolidated into very specific holidays of their own, known as the eight Pagan sabbats. Let's start at the beginning of the year.
Imbolc (February 1st)
This holiday marks the beginning of Spring.
The holiday begins on January 31st at sunset and officially ends at sunset February 1st. This is the festival of hearth and home, where Pagans celebrate the Gaelic goddess Brigid. Brigid is the patron goddess of midwifery, poetry, smithcraft, and healing. She represents the light of the first half of the year that comes with spring.
It is believed that for those who create a cross to her or leave offerings, Brigid will visit the house of and bless these virtuous homes. This holiday is celebrated through feasting, eating dumplings, visiting holy wells, cleaning, and lighting candles and fires to return warmth and the power of the sun. If you ever wondered where to attribute spring cleaning to, this is the day.
Ostara - March 21st
Ostara sounds quite like Easter, and that isn't a coincidence.
This holiday parallels Easter and celebrates the height of Spring. Named after the Anglo-Saxon dawn goddess Ēostre, this lunar goddess of fertility shares linguistic roots with the feminine word estrogen. This holiday is identified with symbols such as rabbits, eggs, seeds, and flowers.
It is seen as a time of fertility, new growth, and often associated with newborn animals. Practices of this holiday are planting seeds and starting gardens.
Beltane - April 30th
This holiday marks the beginning of Summer.
This is a spirit night, where fairies and spirits are especially active and need to be appeased. Most people will know this day as the Gaelic festival May Day. Everything on this day will be decorated in yellow may flowers to evoke fires, and one large bonfire decorated in these flowers will be lit. This will be called the Beltane bonfire.
Fires and rituals will be done to protect cattle and encourage growth throughout town. Then, all the fires in houses will be doused and relit from the Beltane bonfire.
Litha - June 21st
Here is our midsummer nights dream. This holiday is a fire festival held on the summer solstice, celebrating the longest day and shortest night of the year, also known as midsummer.
The opposite of Yule, this day is when Pagans believe the sun god is at their moment of greatest power. This is a time to reaffirm dedication to traditions, and is particularly special for adherents of the faerie faith. All the fairies in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Nights Dream" always bring thoughts of this holiday to mind.
Music, singing, and dancing are the most common ways to celebrate this day.
Lughnasadh - August 1st
This holiday is pronounced LOO-nah-sah. Put weight on the first part and the rest makes a schwa or "uh/ah" sound.
This holiday, though set on August 1st, is often celebrated on the nearest Sunday or full moon to this date. This day marks the beginning of the harvest season.
It parallels other countries holidays, such as English Lammas Day. This holiday was named after the Irish god of the sun, sky, and storms, named Lugh/Lú. Along with spending time around sources of water such as springs, creeks, rivers, ponds, and lakes, celebrators of this holiday can be found walking through a field and having athletic competitions.
Mabon - September 21st
This is a day of balance, where time is equally divided between day and night. This is the Fall equinox.
On this day, give thanks to the waning sunlight. Welcome to a time of mysteries, where Pagans take a moment to pay respects to the impending dark. Symbols of this holiday include leaves, seeds, acorns, and pine cones. Celebrate by drinking wine, walking in the woods, giving libations to trees, and making offerings of cider, wine, herbs, and fertilizer.
This is the day to dress lavishly, relax, and enjoy your personal harvest.
Samhain - October 31st
HALLOWEEN. Yes, this is the spirit night also known as All Hallows Eve. This holiday celebrates the end of Summer, where the thin veil between the world of the living and dead is lifted.
On this day, a single candle is left in the window to help guide ancestors back home. The tradition of handing 'candy out to kids is derived from this holiday's tradition of leaving food on the doorstep for wandering dead. Costumes are put on not for fun, but to fool nature spirits wishing to cause a little trouble.
Not pumpkins, but turnips are carved and left out as protective spirits against the dead. Make sure to leave room on this holiday for unseen guests in your house.
Yule - December 21st
If you want yet another day besides Christmas Eve and Christmas to celebrate in December, Yule is your holiday.
On this day, Pagans celebrate the rebirth from dark to light. This is where all the traditions for Christmas originate from, such as caroling, decorating a tree, and exchanging gifts. Mistletoe is hung up, and ivy and holly are used to decorate to invite nature spirits in.
The name of the holiday is given from the holiday's main attraction, the yule log. The log must be made from the wood of an ash tree, either harvested from home or given as a gift, and then lit from a piece of last years Yule log. After it is lit, the log burns throughout the night, then is left to smolder for twelve days before being put out.
Going to the cinema alone is good for your mental health, says science
women in street dancing
Photo by 
man and woman standing in front of louver door
Photo by 
man in black t-shirt holding coca cola bottle
Photo by 
red and white coca cola signage
Photo by 
man holding luggage photo
Photo by 
topless boy in blue denim jeans riding red bicycle during daytime
Photo by 
trust spelled with wooden letter blocks on a table
Photo by 
Everyone is Welcome signage
Photo by 
man with cap and background with red and pink wall l
Photo by 
difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations desk decor
Photo by 
photography of woman pointing her finger near an man
Photo by 
closeup photography of woman smiling
Photo by 
a man doing a trick on a skateboard
Photo by 
two men 
running man on bridge
Photo by 
orange white and black bag
Photo by 
girl sitting on gray rocks
Photo by 
assorted-color painted wall with painting materials
Photo by 
three women sitting on brown wooden bench
Photo by 
Photo by 
Photo by 
Photo by 
Photo by 
people sitting on chair in front of computer
all stars lol GIF by Lifetime
two women talking while looking at laptop computerPhoto by 
shallow focus photography of two boys doing wacky facesPhoto by 
happy birthday balloons with happy birthday textPhoto by 
itty-bitty living space." | The Genie shows Aladdin how… | Flickr
shallow focus photography of dog and catPhoto by 
yellow Volkswagen van on roadPhoto by 
orange i have a crush on you neon light signagePhoto by 
5 Tattoos Artist That Will Make You Want A Tattoo
woman biting pencil while sitting on chair in front of computer during daytimePhoto by 
a scrabbled wooden block spelling the word prizePhoto by 
