What are the Druids religious holidays or festivals?
Druids revere nature and the changing cycle of the year, and their celebrations reflect this. Whether celebrating in groups (known as Groves) or individually, they will honour this ever changing relationship through ‘the cycle of the year’. Since the mid twentieth century, this cycle – also known as the wheel of the year – has been made up of eight festivals: Samhain (31 October), Winter Solstice, Imbolc (2 February), Spring Equinox, Beltane (1 May), Summer Solstice, Lammas (1 August) and Autumn Equinox. Of these the Summer Solstice is the most well known to the general public, with its relationship to the celebrations at Stonehenge. Some Druids will only celebrate the seasonal festivals (Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane and Lammas), others focus on the solar festivals (the solstices and equinoxes). In addition some groups may celebrate the cycle of the moon. For more information on festivals, see our Rites and Celebrants pages in Druidry in Practice.
