Seasons · 5 min · 17 October 2026
The Wheel of the Year: Eight Festivals and the Old Customs Behind Them
The Wheel of the Year is a calendar of eight festivals: four on the old fire feasts between the seasons, four on the solstices and equinoxes. The wheel itself is modern, put together in England in the 1950s. Most of the customs it gathers are much older.
The Wheel of the Year is a calendar of eight festivals: four on the old fire feasts between the seasons, four on the solstices and equinoxes. The wheel itself is modern, put together in England in the 1950s. Most of the customs it gathers are much older. The next turn is Samhain, on the night of 31 October.
The eight festivals at a glance
| Festival | Date | What it marks |
|---|---|---|
| Samhain | 31 October 2026 | The end of the harvest, the start of the dark half |
| Yule | 21 December 2026, 21:50 CET | The longest night |
| Imbolc | 1 February 2027 | The first stirring of spring |
| Ostara | 20 March 2027, 21:24 CET | Day and night of equal length |
| Beltane | 1 May 2027 | The start of summer |
| Litha | 21 June 2027, 16:11 CEST | The longest day |
| Lammas | 1 August 2027 | The first bread from the new grain |
| Mabon | 23 September 2027, 08:02 CEST | The second equal night, the harvest home |
Where the wheel comes from
The four fire feasts, Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasadh, are named in medieval Irish texts as the days that opened each quarter of the Gaelic year. The solstices and equinoxes were marked all over Europe, with bonfires at midsummer and evergreen at midwinter. In the 1950s Gerald Gardner and Ross Nichols joined the two sets into one circle of eight. The names Ostara, Litha and Mabon were added in 1974. So the wheel is a modern calendar drawn from old festivals, and that is how we tell it.
Samhain, 31 October
In Ireland, Samhain closed the harvest and opened winter. Cattle came down from the summer pastures, fires were lit on the hills, and the old stories say it was a night when the boundary to the otherworld stood open. Many people today call it the night when the veil is thin, and keep it for the people they have lost: a candle in the window, a place laid at the table, a name said aloud. To mark it: light one candle for someone you remember and tell one story about them.
Yule, the winter solstice
The midwinter feast of the north, from the Old Norse jól. Evergreen was brought into the house, and a great log was set to burn through the longest night. Read our Yule guide for the full custom. To mark it: sit in the dark for a minute, then light one candle.
Imbolc, 1 February
The feast of the Irish Saint Brigid, and probably of an older goddess of the same name. Families wove Brigid's crosses from rushes and hung them over the door, and a strip of cloth was left outside overnight for her to pass over. In the farm year it is the time the ewes give milk again. To mark it: light a white candle and write down one thing you want to begin this spring.
Ostara, the spring equinox
Day and night stand equal, and from now on the light wins. The name comes from Eostre, a spring goddess named only once, by the English monk Bede around 725. Eggs, seeds and the first green belong to this time in folk custom across Europe. To mark it: sow a few seeds in a pot on the windowsill and set your intention as you press them in.
Beltane, 1 May
The Gaelic May Day. Two fires were lit, and cattle were driven between them before they went out to the summer grazing. Across Europe this is the time of the maypole, of green branches over the door and of flowers gathered at dawn. To mark it: bring in a branch in blossom, or step outside at sunrise.
Litha, the summer solstice
The longest day. All over Europe midsummer was kept with fires on the hills and herbs gathered on St John's Eve, above all St John's wort. In Sweden the midsummer pole still goes up every year. To mark it: stay outside until the sun goes down, then light a candle for the shortening days.
Lammas, 1 August
The Anglo-Saxon hlafmæsse, the loaf mass: bread baked from the first ripe wheat was taken to church to be blessed. The Irish feast on the same day is Lughnasadh, named after the god Lugh, with fairs, games and climbs to the hilltops. To mark it: bake or buy a loaf, break it at the table and name what has ripened for you this year.
Mabon, the autumn equinox
Day and night are equal again, and now the dark grows. In English villages this was the time of the harvest home, the last sheaf and the shared supper. The name Mabon comes from a figure in Welsh legend and was given to the festival in 1974. To mark it: write two lists, what this year has brought in and what you will let go before winter.
How to keep the wheel at home
You do not need to keep all eight. Many people start with one: the festival closest to now. Put a candle where you will see it, add something from outside that belongs to the season, and give the evening ten minutes. Next time the wheel turns, do it again. After a year you will have your own calendar.
Safety
- Never leave a candle or glowing herbs alone.
- Keep flames away from dry leaves, grain and evergreen.
- Burn incense and resin on a heat-proof dish, with a window open, away from sleeping people, babies and pets.
Frequently asked questions
What are the eight sabbats?
Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas (also called Lughnasadh) and Mabon.
Is the Wheel of the Year ancient?
The festivals are old, the wheel is not. It was put together in the 1950s from Irish, Anglo-Saxon and Norse customs.
When does the Wheel of the Year begin?
Many begin it at Samhain, the old Celtic new year. Others start at Yule.
Why do the solstice dates change?
They follow the sun, not the calendar, so they move by a day and a few hours from year to year. The four fire feasts keep fixed dates.
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