Festivals

Samhain 

 

First on our festival calendar is the festival of Samhain which celebrates The Celtic New Year, the end of summer, and the end of the harvest season, this festival also signals winter and is a time when the Celts believed the veil between the living and the dead was thinnest. This time was Christianized to be called All Saints Day and we know it as Halloween. But what does that have to do with music? The answer is dancing. During the festival, one of the main forms of celebration is dancing. Some of these dances are “Night Woman” which honors the crone or skull and bones woman, and “Vrlisko Kolo” a traditional dance of women stepping over the bodies of those who have fallen in battle, as well as several other traditional dances. Traditionally this dancing was accompanied by flutes and drums called bodhrans, as time progressed fiddles and other more modernized instruments were added. Along with the instrumentals, there would also be chanting or singing that was intended to warn off the dead and protect the people, these songs have been lost to time however but people today have continued to create music to recite during these times. 

 

Yule

 

The next holiday to occur in a Celtic year is the holiday of Yule. This was originally a Nordic holiday that was adopted by the Celts as well as pagans residing in Germany and other European countries. Later down the timeline this holiday was also adopted by the Christian religion and they converted it into Christmas and marked it as the birth of Jesus. However the Pagans did it first, and another “Christmas” tradition they started was caroling. During Yule, the Celts would honor the gods with festivals comprised of food, drink, and song. They would ritualistically sing carols dedicated to the days gaining length and to ward off the evil spirits said to wander the long nights. Commonly when it comes to Pagan practices, however, the original carols that were sung during these times have been lost. Many traditions and stories passed down through the Celts were lost when the Christian Crusade began. However, we can still find traces of this holiday everywhere, even its music. People today are still caroling and singing songs meant to celebrate the mark of longer days. Modern Pagans even began to write new carols celebrating the old ways and they are used in Pagan celebrations of yule across the world.

 

Imbolc

 

Next up we have the celebration of Imbolc. This marks the midpoint between the winter solstice and the Vernal equinox, in other words, it celebrates the beginning of spring. This holiday also celebrates the Pagan goddess Bridgid who is the goddess of inspiration and creativity, healing, smithcraft, and poetry. During this time along with other festivities, dancing was done late into the night to honor the goddess and say thanks for the soon-to-come harvest season. Along with dancing Poetry was also recited in celebration of the goddess. While this may not be considered music now, in ancient times poetry could often be read with a sense of musicality and accompanied by flute or harp playing. “If Candlemas day be dry and fair, The half of winter to come and mair. If Candlemas day be wet and foul, the Half O’ winter gane at yule.” Is an ancient poem that originated in Scotland that celebrated this time. Not many of Imbolc's poems and dances were saved when Newer religions attempted to erase the religion of Paganism, so only a few resources remain. 

 

Eostre/Ostara 

 

Eostre also commonly called Ostara or the spring equinox is a Celebration of the coming of spring and is also named after the Pagan goddess Eostre who represents Fertility and crops. Much of this holiday has been lost as it was Christianized to represent easter and many of its original celebrations have been lost or forgotten, including almost all of its musical qualities. One tradition not lost is the practice of one man and one woman chosen to act as the spring god and goddess and act out a courtship and symbolically plant seeds. It is speculated that during the traditional re-enactments of this, the play was accompanied by harp playing and drums similar to how music is used in plays nowadays. There are also several traditional dances done during this time, many of these dances include braiding in and around one another which symbolizes the coming and going of seasons as well as meeting others throughout life. These dances were accompanied by drums, flute, and occasionally fiddle playing, as well as singing in traditional Gaelic. 

 

Beltane 

 

Beltane is one of the most popular Pagan holidays and is still widely celebrated and practiced throughout the globe. Beltane the fire festival celebrates the return of summer. This is typically a large joyous festival that is accompanied by song, dance, food, drink, and lots of fire. One of these dances which you may have seen is commonly referred to as the Maypole dance. Traditionally held at sunrise the Maypole dance is marked with a large pole set in the ground and many colorful strings tied to it. Young dancers would each grab a string and dance amongst each other, men going one way and women going the other. This was meant to create a sleeve or womb of the earth, and by the time the dance was completed the entire pole was typically covered in a braid of brightly colored ribbon. Another common dance is a fire dance, which is typically where the dancers held a stick that was alight at both ends and swung it around while dancing. In ancient times this dancing was done alongside typical drum playing and flute playing, but in modern celebrations, there is a larger instrumental selection. While thankfully many of the traditions from this festival remain, the original lyrics to songs sung during the time were lost or destroyed. 

 

Litha 

 

Litha also known as midsummer, is the celebration of the halfway point of summer and marks the longest day and shortest night of the year. This was a festival to mark the earth's growing fertility and preparation for the harvest. This is another one of the sad losses that happened during the Christian crusade and not many traditions from the ancient days remain. While we know that bonfires were typically light and dancing was done we do not know what the dances or the music that accompanied it were. However, people who continue the practice of paganism have created new dance and song to keep the spirit of Litha alive. One dance that was preserved can be marked by groups jumping over bonfires for good luck and freely dancing to the music, the dances done would often involve trying to connect with the earth and letting yourself move freely. 

 

Lughnasadh

 

The festival of Lughansadh marks the beginning of the harvest season, and is seen as a time to give thanks to deities and the spirits for the harvest. This festival is typically said to be three days long and is celebrated by crowning a wild goat as king and a girl as queen. During this three-day celebration parades in which the Celts would play music and dance down the street were common. The music of this festival is said to be very upbeat and joyous as it was an incredibly happy time for the Celts. You could also find people dancing around bonfires along with drums and flutes that were typical at the time. 

 

Mabon 

 

The final holiday on the Celtic calendar is Mabon, or the Autumn equinox. This festival was marked by dressing lavishly and eating grand meals to celebrate the bounty of life. It was also commonplace to create a sacred space outdoors to honor nature by walking while chanting (typically accompanied by the bodhrans) and sprinkling salt and water to cleanse the spirit of the earth. This was not a holiday marked by great festivals and dancing but was often used as a time to connect to nature and thank the gods. Soft music was commonplace and you would not often find dancing to be a form of celebration during this time. The music of this holiday was only that of chanting and ritual drum and flute playing as prayers.