December
December is named after the Roman goddess Decima, who, as the middle of the
Three Fates, personifies the present. The Anglo-Saxons called it Aerra
Geola (The Time Before Yule) or Wintermonat (Winter Month).
The Franks called it Heilagmanoth (Holy Month) because of the large
number of sacred festivals. The Irish called it Mi na Nollag (Christmas
Month). Modern Asatru, which does not refer to the Yule/Christmas
tradition, prefers Wolfmoon. The December full moon is the backwoods' Cold
or Hunting Moon.
- 1 December
Poseidon
Festival of Poseidon, the Greek god of sea, horses, and rebirth.
- 3 December
Bona Dea
Roman festival of Bona Dea, the Good Goddess.
- 8 December
Astraea
Astraea is a Greek goddess of justice.
- 13 December
Little Yule / Ides of December
Little Yule is a festival of lights.
- 15 December
Alcyone/ Halycon Days
The feast day of the Greek goddess Alcyone marks the beginning of the
halycon days -- the seven days before and seven days after the winter
solstice. It is considered a time of peace.
- 16 December
Sapientia / Sophia
The festival of the goddess of wisdom Sapientia, or Sophia, immediately
precedes the major Roman festivals where wisdom may not be considered to
be the ruling quality.
- 17 December
Saturnalia
The Roman festival of Saturnalia runs for seven days and was known for its
extravagant decadence and licensious behaviour. It was a season of goodwill
to all, where slaves were allowed to meet their masters on equal terms. The
modern celebration of Christmas continues this midwinter festival.
- 20 December
The Mother Night
The Mother Night is the Odinist festival of midwinter. Dreams on this night
are believed to fortell events in the upcoming year.
- 21 December
Winter Solstice / Yule / Midwinter / Alban Arthuan / Fourth Station of
the Year
This is the major festival of December, although in modern times it tends to
be celebrated four days later. The fourth station of the year signifies
enlightenment, when the light is reborn within the womb of darkness. The
birth of many solar dieties is celebrated around this time: Osiris, Baal,
Attis, Adonis, Helios, Apollo, Dionysus, Mithras, Jesus, Balder, and Frey.
All of these dieties have been
given similiar titles: the Light of the World, Sun of Righteousness, and
Savior.
- 23 December
The Secret of the Unhewn Stone / Acca Larentis
The Secret of the Unhewn Stone is a special day in the Celtic calendar. It
is the only day not ruled by a tree and its corresponding ogham letter.
It denotes the quality of potential in all things. It is also the Roman
festival of Acca larentis, sacred to the goddess Laurentina, mother of the
Lares. She is an earth goddess who guards the dead and the seed corn. She
commemorates the old year and the potential of the new.
- 25 December
Christmas Day
In the Roman tradition this day is Dies Natalis Solis Invictus (The Day
of the Birth of the Undefeated Sun). The modern festival of Christmas is
an amalgram of many religious traditions -- Pagan, Zoroastrian, Jewish,
Mithraic, and Christian -- all celebrating aspects of the traditional winter
solstice celebrations.
- 31 December
New Year's Eve / Hogmanay / Asatru Twelfth Night
Hogmanay is the Scottish New Year's festival that
commemorates the solar divinity Hogmagog.
In former times, the shamanic tradition of dressing in animal
skins (often wearing horns or antlers upon the head), was customary on New
Year's Eve. at the moment of New Year (remember that in Northern European
tradition the day starts at sunset), the doors and windows of the house
should be opened to let out the old year and let the new year in. In some
traditions household utensils are rattled and banged in order to drive away
the psychic vestiges of the old year. In Wales this, it is said, will drive
away the Cwn Annwn, the phantom black dogs of the underworld that roam
freely on this night.
Goto November
Goto January