Celtic calendar
Okay kiddo, so the Celtic calendar is like a big circle that helps the Celtic people know what time of the year it is. It's kind of like your calendar that we hang in our kitchen, but instead of having months and days like January 1st or February 14th, the Celtic calendar has special names for each time of the year that help them understand the different seasons.
The Celtic calendar has four main sections, one for each season: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. They start at a special time called a solstice, which happens twice a year when the sun is farthest away from the equator. One is called Summer solstice and happens around June 21st, while the other is called Winter solstice and happens around December 21st.
The Celtic people named the different parts of their calendar after things they saw in nature during each season. For example, the first part of Winter is called Samhain (pronounced SAH-win), which means "summer's end." They celebrated this time when the leaves fell from the trees and the nights got longer. It's also known as Halloween!
The next part of Winter is called Yule, which is for celebrating the Winter solstice when the days are shortest and the nights are longest. They light candles and fires to help bring back the sun and warm up their homes.
Spring starts with Imbolc (IM-bulk), which means "in the belly." This is the time when lambs and other baby animals are born, and the days start to get longer again. Then comes Ostara (OSS-tuh-ruh), which happens around March 21st and is the Spring equinox when the day and night are the same length.
Summer starts with Beltane (BELL-tane), which celebrates the beginning of Summer and the fire goddess named Bel. People would light bonfires and dance around them to celebrate this time. Then there’s Litha (LEE-thuh), which happens around June 21st, is the Summer solstice, when the sun is farthest north.
The last part of Summer is Lughnasadh (LOO-nuh-suh), which celebrates the first harvest of the year. People would gather grains, fruits, and vegetables and have big feasts to give thanks for all the food they had grown.
Finally, the last part of the Celtic calendar is Fall. It starts with Mabon (MAY-bun), which happens around September 21st and is the Fall equinox. It's a time when the days start to get shorter and it's time to prepare for Winter. The last part of Fall is called Samhain, which means "summer's end" and is a time when people would give thanks for their ancestors and loved ones who had passed away.
So, that's the Celtic calendar, kiddo! It's a special way to understand the different parts of the year and all the wonderful things that happen during each season.
The Celtic calendar has four main sections, one for each season: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. They start at a special time called a solstice, which happens twice a year when the sun is farthest away from the equator. One is called Summer solstice and happens around June 21st, while the other is called Winter solstice and happens around December 21st.
The Celtic people named the different parts of their calendar after things they saw in nature during each season. For example, the first part of Winter is called Samhain (pronounced SAH-win), which means "summer's end." They celebrated this time when the leaves fell from the trees and the nights got longer. It's also known as Halloween!
The next part of Winter is called Yule, which is for celebrating the Winter solstice when the days are shortest and the nights are longest. They light candles and fires to help bring back the sun and warm up their homes.
Spring starts with Imbolc (IM-bulk), which means "in the belly." This is the time when lambs and other baby animals are born, and the days start to get longer again. Then comes Ostara (OSS-tuh-ruh), which happens around March 21st and is the Spring equinox when the day and night are the same length.
Summer starts with Beltane (BELL-tane), which celebrates the beginning of Summer and the fire goddess named Bel. People would light bonfires and dance around them to celebrate this time. Then there’s Litha (LEE-thuh), which happens around June 21st, is the Summer solstice, when the sun is farthest north.
The last part of Summer is Lughnasadh (LOO-nuh-suh), which celebrates the first harvest of the year. People would gather grains, fruits, and vegetables and have big feasts to give thanks for all the food they had grown.
Finally, the last part of the Celtic calendar is Fall. It starts with Mabon (MAY-bun), which happens around September 21st and is the Fall equinox. It's a time when the days start to get shorter and it's time to prepare for Winter. The last part of Fall is called Samhain, which means "summer's end" and is a time when people would give thanks for their ancestors and loved ones who had passed away.
So, that's the Celtic calendar, kiddo! It's a special way to understand the different parts of the year and all the wonderful things that happen during each season.
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