[blackbird]

that's exactly right, I'm not talking about Christian events that had their dates placed onto off pagan celebrations to replace them but actual pagan dates that run with the seasons, and don't get me started on Easter, the bunnies and eggs are pagan, in relation to spring and fertility but anyway...

Now before anyone gets too excited I am well aware that this whole date thing can be debated till we are blue in the face, its personal opinion if we choose to believe tonight is Halloween, so I'm not about to go there with this, lets just stick to the original post if you don't believe you don't need to comment, thanks

This post has been edited by blackbird: 30/04/2012, 08:45 PM

[Giltine]

Blackbird is correct. Pagan holidays go by season, not calender dates. So they are all six months ahead/behind of what they are in the northern hemisphere.

[Escapin]

Yes, I know about Easter/Christmas being Christian 'takeovers' of existing pagan festivals. That's kind of my (sh*t stirring) point

[~chiquita~]

Blackbird is correct. Pagan holidays go by season, not calender dates. So they are all six months ahead/behind of what they are in the northern hemisphere.

My pagan/wiccan days are long over yet nobody I knew celebrated Halloween tonight. May Day was a big deal although we are in the southern hemisphere.

Yes, I know about Easter/Christmas being Christian 'takeovers' of existing pagan festivals. That's kind of my (sh*t stirring) point

Back to your original question, no, I don't celebrate. Not anymore anyway.

[blackbird]

I might have to go google May Day, I always picture the spring bonnets and the pole and such but that's about it

[She-Ra]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day
There you go! I didnt know about this at all, I only knew May Day to be International Workers Day.

[**Xena**]

Blackbird is correct. Pagan holidays go by season, not calender dates. So they are all six months ahead/behind of what they are in the northern hemisphere.

Exactly. I did celebrate yes. I usually celebrate both on both days both for tradition's sake and for the 'real' celebration for the Southern Hemisphere.

I generally light a candle for those I have lost and spend some time in the Garden for the Northern counterpart

[lozoodle]

In the northern hemisphere its 31 October. Not here.

Its a pagan holiday, its a seasonal thing, not based on calendar dates.

[Bubble11]

Halloween is an adaption/take over whatever you want to call it of a pagan holiday like Christmas and easter were, but it's now just a specific day on the calendar so I don't think it should be moved.

Samhain is a pagan feast day that would be celebrated according to the season. So you could celebrate Samhain and Beltane on the opposite days to the north and still have Halloween on 31st October, like Christmas and easter they're just specific dates now.

Personally I think pagan festivals should be celebrate on the right seasonally dates, as these are essentially seasonal festivals. The pagan days don't make much sense if you celebrate them by northern hemisphere dates as there's things like the winter festival asks for and celebrates the return of the sun, of longer days, of a potential end to the cold & sometimes almost fasting conditions of winter. Celebrating this in the middle of summer just doesn't make much sense .

[Eirinn]

According to the tradition I follow, some festivals are obviously seasonal, such as Yule. I celebrate those at the correct Southern hemisphere season. However, Beltane and Samhain to me are not seasonal. At Samhain, for instance, the veils are not thinner on one side of the world and not the other. Doesn't make sense to me.

So I just celebrated Beltane. My kids are only little, so we told a wonder tale and had a small brazier going for them.