The Wheel of the Year is the cycle of eight seasonal festivals, called sabbats, that Wiccans and many other modern pagans celebrate as the year turns. It follows the sun through the solstices and equinoxes and marks the old fire festivals that fall between them, from Samhain in the dark of autumn to Litha at the height of summer.
In Wicca, we honor both the Goddess and the God, the moon and the sun. When we work with the phases of the moon, we hold esbats for the Goddess. The sun's journey gets its own calendar: the eight sabbats of the pagan Wheel of the Year.
This guide gives you the dates of all eight sabbats in one table, explains where the Wheel came from, walks you around it one festival at a time, and shows you simple ways to make it part of your own practice, even if you only have a windowsill and a candle.
Quick answer: what are the 8 sabbats? In order, starting from the witches' New Year, they are Samhain (October 31), Yule (around December 21), Imbolc (February 1), Ostara (around March 20), Beltane (May 1), Litha (around June 21), Lughnasadh (August 1) and Mabon (around September 22). Those are Northern Hemisphere dates; south of the equator the Wheel is turned by six months.
The Wheel of the Year Dates: All 8 Sabbats at a Glance
Here's the whole pagan Wheel of the Year on one page. The solstices and equinoxes move by a day or so each year, so check an almanac or our moon calendar for the exact date where you live. Click any sabbat to read our full guide to it.
| Sabbat | Date (North / South) | What it celebrates | Colors | A simple way to celebrate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samhain | October 31 / April 30 | The last harvest, the ancestors, the witches' New Year | Black, orange, deep purple | Set a place or a photo for a loved one who has passed and light a candle for them |
| Yule | Around December 21 / around June 21 | The winter solstice and the rebirth of the sun | Red, green, gold, white | Light a candle at sunset on the longest night and keep it burning (safely) while you're awake |
| Imbolc | February 1 / August 1 | The first stirrings of spring, Brigid, the hearth | White, pale yellow, light green | Clean your space and light a white candle for new beginnings |
| Ostara | Around March 20 / around September 22 | The spring equinox, balance and new growth | Pastel green, yellow, pink, lavender | Decorate eggs or plant seeds with a wish for what you want to grow |
| Beltane | May 1 / October 31 | Fertility, passion and the height of spring | Red, white, green | Pick flowers for a crown or your altar and spend time outdoors |
| Litha | Around June 21 / around December 21 | The summer solstice, the sun at its strongest | Gold, yellow, orange, green | Watch the sunrise or sunset and gather herbs to dry |
| Lughnasadh | August 1 / February 1 | The first (grain) harvest | Gold, orange, brown | Bake or buy a loaf of bread and share it with thanks |
| Mabon | Around September 22 / around March 20 | The autumn equinox, the second harvest, gratitude | Orange, red, brown, deep green | Write a gratitude list and give some food to a pantry |
Want the correspondences for each festival (herbs, crystals, deities and more) in one place? Our free sabbat cheat sheets in the Witch's Cabinet have them.
The Origin of the Wheel of the Year
People have marked the sun's turning points for thousands of years. Monuments like Newgrange in Ireland and Stonehenge in England line up with the winter solstice sunrise or sunset, and many old European festivals followed the farming year. But no ancient people that we know of kept these exact eight festivals together as one calendar. The Wheel of the Year as we celebrate it today is a modern creation, built from older customs. Knowing that doesn't make it any less meaningful: it simply means you're part of a young, living tradition.
Some of the building blocks came from 19th-century scholars. In his Deutsche Mythologie (1835), Jacob Grimm of the Brothers Grimm took a short note by the 8th-century monk Bede about an Anglo-Saxon goddess called Eostre and suggested there had been a German spring goddess, Ostara. Later writers and folklorists collected seasonal customs from across Britain and Ireland, and those collections fed straight into modern paganism.
How Gardner and Nichols Shaped the Modern Wheel
https://druidry.org/about-us/ross-nichols-founder
The Wheel took its familiar shape in Britain in the 1950s. Gerald Gardner's Bricket Wood coven celebrated the four old fire festivals: Samhain, Imbolc (often called Candlemas then), Beltane and Lughnasadh (Lammas). In the late 1950s the coven added the solstices and equinoxes too. Gardner's friend Ross Nichols, who later founded the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, worked with the same eight festivals, and the shared calendar spread through both Wicca and Druidry.
Many Wiccans call the four fire festivals the Greater Sabbats and the solstices and equinoxes the Lesser Sabbats. The names Ostara, Litha and Mabon came even later: the American writer Aidan Kelly suggested them in the 1970s, and they caught on. The historian Ronald Hutton tells the full story in The Stations of the Sun if you'd like to go deeper.
Why the Wheel of the Year Matters in Wicca
The Wheel of the Year keeps us in step with the earth. Wiccans see the natural world as sacred, and each sabbat is a chance to stop, look around and notice what the season is doing: the seeds sprouting at Ostara, the grain ripening at Lughnasadh, the leaves falling at Samhain.
The sabbats grew out of the farming year, but you don't need a farm to feel them. Even if you've never planted anything, you can plant an intention in spring and gather what it grew in autumn. Many witches use the Wheel this way, as a yearly rhythm for setting goals, working on them, giving thanks and letting go.
The Goddess and the God Through the Year
In many Wiccan traditions, the sabbats also tell a story about the Goddess and the God. The God is born as the sun at Yule, grows through spring, joins with the Goddess at Beltane, reaches his peak at Litha, gives his life to the harvest at Lughnasadh and Mabon, and passes into the dark at Samhain, ready to be born again. The Goddess moves through her Maiden, Mother and Crone faces as the seasons turn.
Another popular story is the battle between the Holly King and the Oak King, two brothers who take turns ruling the year: the Oak King wins at the winter solstice as the light grows, and the Holly King wins at the summer solstice as it fades.
These stories are tools, not rules. Many Wiccans honor gods and goddesses from other pantheons at the sabbats, and most cultures have deities who fit the themes of the seasons. If you're not sure who you connect with, our Discover Your Deity course can help you find out. Follow what feels true to you.
The 8 Sabbats of the Wheel of the Year
The Wheel has no real beginning or end, but most Wiccans start the year at Samhain, the witches' New Year, when the old year dies and the new one waits in the dark. Here's each sabbat in turn.
Samhain: October 31
Samhain (say it "SOW-in") is the final harvest and the most famous sabbat, celebrated on the same night as Halloween. Many witches feel the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest now, so it's a time to honor your ancestors, hold a dumb supper, and try Samhain divination. In the God's story he dies and goes into the underworld, and the Goddess is in her Crone form, wise and quiet.
Yule: The Winter Solstice, Around December 21
Yule falls on the longest night of the year. The solstice moves between about December 20 and 23, and in the Southern Hemisphere it's the summer solstice instead. Even though it's the darkest night, Yule celebrates the return of the light: from here the days get longer, and in Wiccan myth the God is reborn as the sun. Evergreens, candles and the Yule log all belong here.
Imbolc: February 1
Imbolc is the first of the spring festivals, halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It's closely tied to the Irish goddess Brigid, and February 1 is also St. Brigid's Day in Ireland. Some witches celebrate on February 2, the same day as Candlemas and Groundhog Day. Themes are hope, the hearth, purification and fresh starts, which makes it a lovely time for a spring clean.
Ostara: The Spring Equinox, Around March 20
At Ostara, day and night are equal and the light is winning. The equinox usually falls on March 20, though it can land on the 19th or 21st. Growth and fertility are the themes, so you'll see eggs, seeds, flowers and hares. Many of these symbols also turn up at Easter, and both holidays celebrate new life in spring.
Beltane: May 1
Beltane is a Celtic fire festival celebrated from sunset on April 30 into May 1, which is why it's also called May Day. In Ireland and Scotland, people lit bonfires and drove cattle between them for protection. In Wiccan myth the Goddess and God unite, so Beltane celebrates love, passion and fertility. Maypoles, flower crowns, bonfires and handfastings are all popular.
Litha: The Summer Solstice, Around June 21
Litha, or Midsummer, is the longest day and shortest night of the year, the opposite of Yule. The sun is at the height of its power and the land is green and full. It's also a turning point: from now on the days slowly shorten. Many witches gather herbs at Midsummer, when their power is said to be strongest.
Lughnasadh or Lammas: August 1
Lughnasadh (say it "LOO-nah-sah") is named for the Irish god Lugh and is the first of the three harvest festivals. Its other name, Lammas, comes from the Old English for "loaf mass," when bread made from the first grain was blessed in church. Bake bread, give thanks for what you've gathered so far, and try some Lughnasadh recipes.
Mabon: The Autumn Equinox, Around September 22
Mabon is the second harvest and the second time in the year that day and night are equal. It usually falls on September 22 or 23. Some people call it the witches' Thanksgiving, because it's all about gratitude, sharing and getting ready for the dark half of the year. It's a good time for protection and balance spells, and for a hearty Mabon feast.
The Wheel of the Year in the Southern Hemisphere
The Wheel follows the seasons, not the calendar, so most witches south of the equator turn it by six months. That puts Samhain on April 30 or May 1, Yule around June 21, Imbolc on August 1, Ostara around September 22, Beltane on October 31, Litha around December 21, Lughnasadh on February 1 and Mabon around March 20. Some Southern Hemisphere witches keep the northern dates because of community or tradition. Both are valid: pick the one that matches what you see outside your window.
How to Start Celebrating the Wheel of the Year
Eight festivals can feel like a lot, especially in your first year. You don't have to do everything. Here's a gentle way to begin:
- Mark the dates. Put all eight sabbats in your calendar or phone, plus a reminder a week before each one.
- Notice the season. Take a walk near each sabbat and look at what's changing: light, weather, plants, animals.
- Refresh your altar. Swap in a few seasonal items, like leaves, flowers, a candle in the sabbat's colors. Our guide to Wiccan altars shows you how.
- Cook something seasonal. Food is one of the easiest ways to celebrate. Our Samhain recipes are a good place to start.
- Write it down. Record what you did and how it felt in your Book of Shadows. Next year you'll see how far you've come.
Some witches go all out with feasts, decorations and rituals; others light one candle and say a few words of thanks. Both are real practice. If you'd like a guided path through every festival, with rituals, recipes and lore, our Wiccan Holidays course takes you around the whole Wheel.
A note on safety: many sabbat customs involve fire. Never leave a candle or bonfire unattended, keep flames away from curtains, dried herbs and pets, and check local fire rules before lighting anything outdoors.
Final Thoughts
The Wheel of the Year is one of the most joyful parts of Wicca. It gives your practice a rhythm, ties you to the land you live on, and gives you eight reasons a year to celebrate. Start small, keep what feels right, and let your traditions grow year by year.
Which sabbat is your favorite, and how do you like to celebrate it?
Sources
- Hutton, Ronald. The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain. Oxford University Press, 1996.
- Cunningham, Scott. Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. Llewellyn, 1988.
Check out our other articles:
Wiccan Holidays: Samhain
Wiccan Holidays: Yule
The Holly King and the Oak King
Moon Phases and Simple Rituals
See All Articles
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Wheel of the Year FAQs
What are the 8 sabbats of the Wheel of the Year?
The eight sabbats are Samhain (October 31), Yule (the winter solstice, around December 21), Imbolc (February 1), Ostara (the spring equinox, around March 20), Beltane (May 1), Litha (the summer solstice, around June 21), Lughnasadh or Lammas (August 1) and Mabon (the autumn equinox, around September 22). These are Northern Hemisphere dates.
When does the Wheel of the Year start?
The Wheel is a circle, so it has no fixed start. Most Wiccans treat Samhain on October 31 as the witches' New Year, while some begin at Yule, when the sun is reborn, or at Imbolc, when spring first stirs.
Is the Wheel of the Year pagan or Wiccan?
Both. The eight-festival Wheel was put together by Wiccans and Druids in Britain in the 1950s, and today it is shared by Wiccans, Druids and many eclectic pagans and witches. Each festival draws on older seasonal customs, but the full Wheel as one calendar is modern.
What is the difference between sabbats and esbats?
Sabbats are the eight solar festivals of the Wheel of the Year, tied to the seasons. Esbats are rituals held at the full moon (and sometimes the new moon), usually focused on the Goddess and on spellwork. Many witches celebrate both.
What are the Greater and Lesser Sabbats?
The Greater Sabbats are the four old fire festivals: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasadh. The Lesser Sabbats are the solstices and equinoxes: Yule, Ostara, Litha and Mabon. Lesser doesn't mean less important; it is just the traditional name.
Do I have to celebrate all 8 sabbats?
No. Many witches start with one or two sabbats that speak to them and add more over time. A candle, a seasonal meal or a walk outside is a perfectly good celebration.
How does the Wheel of the Year work in the Southern Hemisphere?
Most witches in the Southern Hemisphere shift the Wheel by six months to match their seasons. Samhain falls on April 30 or May 1, Yule around June 21, Beltane on October 31 and Litha around December 21.
