Comments on Sometimes It's Peaceful: "Christmas is not enough,"

Thanks Nikki, I see your thinking and it makes sen...

2008-10-19T04:47:00.000+01:00

Thanks Nikki, I see your thinking and it makes sense. Anyway, I've just made a new blog about this (cos you can never have enough, right?) if anyone wants to keep track of our mission to "Set the calendar in order and make the seasons clear."

There's a page

Surely Michaelmas would correspond more with Mabon...

2008-10-16T14:31:00.000+01:00

Surely Michaelmas would correspond more with Mabon, being on the 29th September and Mabon being the Autumn equinox, so around a week earlier?

Lammas/Lughnasad is in August so further away from Michaelmas?

*Anyway* I think you can't beat a bit of festivity in your life, however it presents itself :)

Could go on a real hare hunt around here Daddybean...

2008-10-13T19:22:00.000+01:00

Could go on a real hare hunt around here Daddybean! Just to spot them, of course. They are amazing to see, aren't they?

Oh I like the idea of a potato planting ritual.

Oh wow, I like the idea of your Ostara tree too Shirl.

Hi Gill, I can't really help with the agricultural...

2008-10-12T09:33:00.000+01:00

Hi Gill, I can't really help with the agricultural link but we celebrate Ostara by decorating an Ostara tree. Basically, a small branch or large twig that has blown down or broken off a tree which we anchor in a pot with earth and decorate with blown painted eggshells, dyed eggs and anything else we feel would look good on our tree.

As far as I am aware the egg symbolises fertility and

Not entirely convinced by the whole 'eating lots o...

2008-10-11T08:43:00.000+01:00

Not entirely convinced by the whole 'eating lots of eggs thing' as an explaination for the eggs-easter link. The egg a symbol of fertility/new life etc. isn't surprising. And there is all the Hare symbolism related to this time as well. - Maybe go on a symbolic hare hunt ? :-)

I assuem there would have been some planting rituals around this time as well. There is of course the old plant

Wow Heidi! Different climate, different culture! I...

2008-10-09T08:11:00.000+01:00

Wow Heidi! Different climate, different culture!

I had to look Egg Nog up - I'd forgotten what it meant, because nobody drinks it around here (though I see it might have been invented in England.)

And... 70F in Spring??! LOL, we get the flags out here when it reaches 70F in Summer!

We have a few Family-invented holidays here:The fi...

2008-10-09T04:56:00.000+01:00

We have a few Family-invented holidays here:

The first day that Egg Nog is again for sale at the grocery store.

The first spring day where the temp reaches 70 F / 21 C.

The picking of the first tomatoes.

Ooh.. what's a lammas loaf then? Has it got a spec...

2008-10-08T17:15:00.000+01:00

Ooh.. what's a lammas loaf then? Has it got a special recipe? Hey I might try growing a bit of wheat for the occasion next year.

Yes, Easter falls right in the middle of the hungry gap doesn't it? I'm starting to understand why the eggs were so necessary. Not quite sure how that's going to fit into our cycle. No doubt it will evolve over the years. Meanwhile, we could do a good egg hunt

back again having rifled my library ;-)"When winte...

2008-10-08T15:54:00.000+01:00

back again having rifled my library ;-)

"When winter meat stocks had run out, eggs were a staple food until spring produce was available, so th giving of eggs was a much appreciated generosity."

From the Modern Pagan which is, I think, the best source of info on the history of the festivals I've read.

michaelmas is lammas yes just shifted along a few ...

2008-10-08T15:40:00.000+01:00

michaelmas is lammas yes just shifted along a few days, generally celebrated with a lammas loaf.

easter is ostara/spring equinox, all about fertility hence the eggs - not suggesting what you could do then to celebrate ;-) Simnel cake is typical fare for that time i think isn't it, along with nests etc - ours always like making the shredded wheat chocolate coated ones... Forgive me if

Hi Lucy, Yep, you'll be ideally placed to do it th...

2008-10-08T14:59:00.000+01:00

Hi Lucy,

Yep, you'll be ideally placed to do it there too, won't you? I'll be very interested to hear what you come up with.

Hello Gill,Ooh yeah, right with you on this one (a...

2008-10-08T09:13:00.000+01:00

Hello Gill,

Ooh yeah, right with you on this one (as usual). We've got it in the backs of our minds to do some regular seasonal-type celebrations too - and, like you, now we've got the land and everything we're thinking there's bound to be more rhythm with things we do at different times of year, and why not make a celebration/ritual of it? No ideas on easter, sorry!

Of course, duh.. Lammas is the one of the main har...

2008-10-08T07:37:00.000+01:00

Of course, duh.. Lammas is the one of the main harvest days, isn't it?

Still a bit stuck on the eggs though..

It's interesting that in all the reading I've done...

2008-10-08T07:34:00.000+01:00

It's interesting that in all the reading I've done on this so far, nobody seems too concerned with the agricultural functions of these feasts! If anyone's got any links that might be helpful in that respect, I'd appreciate them.

Oh thanks for that Tim, it was an interesting read...

2008-10-08T07:30:00.000+01:00

Oh thanks for that Tim, it was an interesting read. Lady Day corresponds with Easter, doesn't it? I think we're going to do Easter, but with more emphasis on its original function, if we can work out what that is. We're struggling a bit with that one though. I mean, ok, it's eggs, but how do you base a day's real work around eggs?? LOL Was it the day they all mucked out the hen houses?! Hmm.. we

"I wish it could be Christmas every day" ♫How abou...

2008-10-07T19:58:00.000+01:00

"I wish it could be Christmas every day" ♫

How about using the quarter days?

Christmas is a 100% Pagan celebration. There is no...

2008-10-07T18:18:00.000+01:00

Christmas is a 100% Pagan celebration. There is nothing Christian about it and neither does the Bible say celebrate it. Christmas only entered western Christianity as a result of a compromise by Constantine.

The quote that some Christians use of putting Christ back into Christmas is nothing but an oxymoron. In fact some people even think that it's more blasphemous for a Christian to try