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New beginnings and the approach of spring feature in Imbolc, a traditional Gaelic festival. Marking the halfway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox, the annual celebration falls ...
Imbolc is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with: Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain. [3] Imbolc is mentioned in early Irish literature, and some evidence suggests it was also an important date in ancient times. It is believed that Imbolc was originally a pagan festival associated with the lambing season and the goddess Brigid.
Imbolc is the traditional Gaelic name for 1 February and traditionally marks the first stirrings of spring. In Christianity it is Saint Brigid's Day, while 2 February is Candlemas. It aligns with the contemporary observance of Groundhog Day. It is time for purification and spring cleaning in anticipation of the year's new life.
Lughnasadh, Lughnasa or Lúnasa (/ ˈ l uː n ə s ə / LOO-nə-sə, Irish: [ˈl̪ˠuːnˠəsˠə]) is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man.
Other important dates for the Horned God include Imbolc when, according to Valiente, he leads a wild hunt. [8]: 191 In Gardnerian Wicca, the Dryghten prayer recited at the end of every ritual meeting contains the lines referring to the Horned God: In the name of the Lady of the Moon, and the Horned Lord of Death and Resurrection [12]
The Gaulish Coligny calendar is the oldest known Celtic solar-lunar ritual calendar. It was discovered in Coligny , France, and is now on display in the Palais des Arts Gallo-Roman museum, Lyon. It dates from the end of the second century AD, [ 2 ] when the Roman Empire imposed the use of the Julian Calendar in Roman Gaul .
Druidic rituals usually reflect on the time of year and the changing of the seasons. [78] The most common form of ritual used for seasonal celebrations is a solitary nature ramble to observe and connect with nature, combined with a personal meditation on the meaning of the season at hand. [79]
Imbolc is astrologically a cross-quarter observance. The date of Imbolc drifts slightly from year to year because the date is actually based on what is now known as Solar Ecliptic Longitude, it is not a Gregorian Calendar date and instead the position of the sun in the sky relative to positional observance thereof on Earth.