Technically this is a "Celtic tradition" subject, but people in the UK often partake in these celebrations, with good intentions and respect, even if they do not follow a greatly Celtic path.
With Lammas/Lughnasadh approaching, it occurred to me to consider, how much fluctuation was there in the dating? Does anyone know how the dates of Samhain etc came to be fixed, particularly as they have been fixed to the modern Gregorian calendar? If we are to have found any calendar in Iron Age Britain I imagine it would have been similar to the Coligny calendar. It seems more probable that the festival dates would have been fixed by lunar (or solar) positions, rather than the rather arbitrary dates we have at the moment, attached to an arbitrary Christian calendar.
It also occurred to me that the four festivals are actually nearly exactly two new moons after the solstice/equinox that they are near. For example, if we went by new moons, Imbolc would have been celebrated (this year) on the night of February 8-9th (an extra full moon means it is pushed forward a week, last quarter occurs on 1st instead) Beltane would have fallen on the night of May 6-7th, Lughnasadh: August 2-3rd, and Samhain: October 30-31st. This can't be a coincidence that they are evenly spaced against the solstices.
What do you guys think?
With Lammas/Lughnasadh approaching, it occurred to me to consider, how much fluctuation was there in the dating? Does anyone know how the dates of Samhain etc came to be fixed, particularly as they have been fixed to the modern Gregorian calendar? If we are to have found any calendar in Iron Age Britain I imagine it would have been similar to the Coligny calendar. It seems more probable that the festival dates would have been fixed by lunar (or solar) positions, rather than the rather arbitrary dates we have at the moment, attached to an arbitrary Christian calendar.
It also occurred to me that the four festivals are actually nearly exactly two new moons after the solstice/equinox that they are near. For example, if we went by new moons, Imbolc would have been celebrated (this year) on the night of February 8-9th (an extra full moon means it is pushed forward a week, last quarter occurs on 1st instead) Beltane would have fallen on the night of May 6-7th, Lughnasadh: August 2-3rd, and Samhain: October 30-31st. This can't be a coincidence that they are evenly spaced against the solstices.
What do you guys think?
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