The Wheel of the Year: The 8 Festivals in the Wiccan Calendar

The Wheel of the Year is a symbolic calendar that represents the 8 festivals celebrated by many pagans, Wiccans, and witches. These holidays — known as Sabbats — follow a nature-based cycle and include four solar festivals and four cross-quarter days that fall in between those.

Because solstices and equinoxes are tied to exact astronomical moments, their dates (and therefore, the pagan holidays) shift slightly from year-to-year. Sabbat celebrations occur about every six weeks, so there’s always something to look forward to! At the end of this post, I’ve included the Wheel of the Year dates for 2025 and 2026.

If you choose to celebrate the festivals on the Wiccan calendar, how you choose to do so is up to you. If you’re part of a coven, you and your fellow witches may have follow certain rituals and customs connected to the holiday. If you are a solitary practitioner, take the time to learn about each Sabbat and learn about the colors, foods, and decorations associated with each. (If you’re new to paganism, here’s a guide to what Paganism is.)

If you want a wheel you can display your home, I love this pretty wall plaque. If you want to learn more about the pagan holidays in depth, we have articles on each and go into more depth on each in our witchy planner. In the meantime, check out this book by Modern Witchcraft.

The Wheel of the Year Festivals:

• Yule: December 20-23
• Imbolc: February 1-2
• Ostara: March 19-21
• Beltane: April 30 – May 1
• Litha/Midsummer: June 20-22
• Lughnasadh: August 1-2
• Mabon: September 21-24
• Samhain: October 31 – November 1

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The 8 Wiccan Sabbats

1. Yule (December 19-23)

In Wiccan tradition, the Goddess (in her Mother aspect) gives birth to the God on the longest night of the year, the Winter Solstice. And then, like the Earth during winter, rests.

In wider pagan traditions, Yule celebrates the coming of longer days and the return of the sun. Homes may be decorated with evergreen boughs, candles, and Yule trees, and Yule logs are traditionally burned to bring protection, warmth, and luck for the coming year.

2. Imbolc (February 1-2)

Imbolc is the holiday during which some pagans give thanks to Brigid as well as to the increasing daylight, which comes with hope for an abundant spring. It is also a traditional holiday for rededications or for witch initiations.

3. Ostara (March 19-21)

The spring equinox (Ostara) is a holiday of renewal and abundance. For Wiccans, this is when the Goddess represents her Maiden aspect and when the god has become a young man. It’s a great time for planting seeds and celebrating the fertile spring.

4. Beltane (April 30 – May 1)

When I was growing up, I always thought Beltane was the coolest, but that’s because I thought of it only as the holiday in which you lit a bonfire and went and made love in the woods.

May Day is also celebrated by decorating and dancing around the maypole (representing the male aspect). And, it’s believed that, like at Samhain, the veil between the living and the spirit world is thinner. For Wiccans, this Sabbat is also a holiday of love and romance and when the God and Goddess come together.

5. Litha/Midsummer (June 19-22)

The summer solstice, or Litha, is when the days are the longest. Nature is at its peak and the sun is at the highest point in the sky. Pagans give thanks for all of this and at this time, ask for a rich harvest. For Wiccans, this is also when the god is at his full power.

6. Lughnasadh (August 1-2)

Lughnasadh marks the midpoint between summer and fall, and is the first harvest festival of the year. It’s a time for harvesting grains, giving thanks for the growth that has happened, and to enjoy the warmth and light that is still to come.

For Wiccans, Lughnasadh marks when the god’s power begins to decline. And, for some pagans, it’s the time when the multi-talented Celtic God Lugh transfers his power to the grain. When the grain is harvested and baked into bread, his cycle of life is complete.

7. Mabon (September 21-24)

Mabon or the fall equinox is the second harvest festival. Traditionally, it’s when fruits and vegetables are harvested, when autumn begins, and when Wiccans believe the Goddess moves from Mother to Crone. It’s a time to give thanks for all that has been provided.

8. Samhain (October 31 – November 1)

Samhain, best known as Halloween, is Celtic New Year’s Eve and the final harvest. It’s when the veil between the world of the living and the dead is the thinnest. It’s also when many pagans believe spirits roam the earth and when communication with them is easiest.

Samhain is a time to honor all those who have come before, for all that was gifted to us during the year, to ask for guidance, and to set intentions as the turning of the wheel begins again.

Wiccans believe this is when the god dies and when the Goddess, in her full power in her Crone aspect and pregnant with the god, that will be born at Yule. And hence, the cycle begins again. It is, because the divide between the world’s is at is thinnest, also one of the most powerful nights for magic.

The Lesser Sabbats (Solar Holidays)

The 4 lesser Sabbats or quarter holidays are the two solstices and two equinoxes. They have origins and often reflect Germanic and Norse traditions. They include: Yule (winter solstice), Ostara (spring equinox), Litha (summer solstice), and Mabon (fall equinox).

The Greater Sabbats (Cross-Quarter Days)

The greater sabbats or cross-quarter days fall approximately halfway between the greater sabbats and have origins in Celtic traditions. They include: Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain.

While many of the Sabbats have ancient roots, the modern eight-fold Wheel of the Year was popularized in the 20th century through Wiccan traditions and was influenced in part by the work of poet Robert Graves and his interpretations of Celtic mythology.

Wiccan Holidays: 2025 Dates

Pagan Holidays: 2026 Dates

Get our guide to all the sabbats and the Wheel of the Year here!