Heathen Holidays
In Ásatrú (Germanic neopaganism), various publications identify a number of holidays, to some extent based on medieval references to sacrifices observed in historical Norse paganism or reconstructions of an early Germanic calendar, but frequently also inspired by the "Wheel of the Year" popular in Wicca, and sometimes also based on ad hoc innovation, e.g. the various "Days of Remembrance" introduced by The Troth.
As a minimal consensus, the three great seasonal blots mentioned in Ynglingasaga are recognized by practically all adherents. These are: Winter Nights (in October, in some Icelandic sagas identified with Dísablót ), Midwinter (some time in December or January, often identified with Yule) and Sigrblot (some time in summer). Beyond this, the modern Icelandic festival of Þorrablót is sometimes considered a "pagan holiday".
Suggestions for rituals suited for these various holidays were published by e.g. Edred Thorsson, A Book of Troth (1989) and by Kveldulf Gundarsson, Teutonic Religion (1993). James Chisholm (1989) published a suggestion for Ostara
The following are examples of seasonal festivals as listed by notable adherents of American Asatru.
Read more about Heathen Holidays: Asatru Free Assembly, Puryear, The Troth
Famous quotes containing the word heathen:
“So stick up ivy and the bays,
And then restore the heathen ways,
Green will remind you of the Spring,
Though this great day denies the thing,
And mortifies the earth, and all,
But your wild revels, and loose hall.”
—Henry Vaughan (1622–1695)