Wiccan Thanksgiving

mabon-ritual

Have you wondered if Wiccans celebrate Thanksgiving? With Thanksgiving around the corner you might wonder what witches do to celebrate. Wiccans do have their own version of Thanksgiving, called Mabon, however they typically celebrate it much earlier around September 21.

This second sabbot for Wiccans is called Mabon, it’s the Wiccan Thanksgiving, celebrated by Pagans and Wiccans alike.  Mabon is named after a Welsh god who was both represented both strength and wisdom, as well as being masculine and fertilizing. In the September Equinox the Sun’s strength weakens all the way until Winter solstice in December. Finally, the Sun gets stronger and the days once again become longer than the nights.

Mabon is also known as the Autumn Equinox. For two days a year, the Northern and Southern hemispheres receive the exact same amount of sunlight. Each hemisphere receives the same amount of light as they do dark. The Earth is tilted at a right angle to the sun, and the sun is directly over the equator. In Latin, the word equinox means equal night. The Autumn equinox takes place on or near September 21, with its spring counterpart falls around March 21.

The Autumns Equinox is celebrated by dividing the day time and the night-time equally.  Wiccans take their moment to pay their respects to the darkness  as evening comes.  A goddess gives thanks to the sunlight as it fades, where this day is meant to store the harvest of this year’s crops. 

Wiccans offer cider, herbs, wine and fertilizer at this time of year, to celebrate the Autumn.  At this time of year, the aging Goddess makes her transition from Mother, to the older Crone.  Her consort is the God as he prepares for death and re-birth.  Wiccans have great reverence for the wisdom of the elderly and do not obsess about youth. The goddess will descend into the underworld and with that departure you will see the turning to fall and coming of winder.

Another bit of Mabon lore is that the Harvest Lord gets bid farewell. The legend of the Harvest Lord is that he was slain at Lammas. He is seen as the green man who represents the cycle of nature within the plant kingdom. The green man is harvested then is seeds are planted back into the Earth so that life can continue and be even more abundant.

Wiccan Thanksgiving

If you are planning a Wiccan Thanksgiving you can do like the pagans and give many thanks to the fruits of the earth.  Share food and resources to be giving the blessings of the Goddess and God throughout the harsher winter months.   Mabon usually takes place between September 21 and September 24, which is a month before Halloween or Samhain even! 

If you can’t celebrate early it can’t hurt to celebrate Mabon during the Thanksgiving break.  This might coordinate better with tradition vacations from school and jobs.  Make a beautiful altar for Mabon and dress it up with handmade arts and crafts that celebrate the autumn Equinox.  Try using herbs, incense and stones to decorate.  Symbols of the season also include different gourds and melons, apples, squash, seeds, nuts, baskets, sickles and grapes or wine. You can tie stalks and sprig branches together to symbolize the Harvest Lord and set the pretty gourds in the center. You can symbolize the Harvest Lord be creating straw figures. You can also make a harvest queen using similar sprigs tied together with beautiful ribbons that depict the coming spring.  Carve and dress apples as apple dolls are a symbol of the witch.

If you choose to celebrate Mabon during thanksgiving, you’ll be late yet you can still have the opportunity to give thanks for the things you have.  Pagans take the time to reflect on the balance within lives, honoring both the darkness and the light. Invite your friends and family over for a Mabon feast.   Favorite food fare for the holiday includes Apple cider, sage and basil chicken, Squash made with butter, honey  and cinnamon, and sausage. Finish with fresh homemade apple pie, cookies or apple bread.  Count your blessings and celebrate the friendships you have among your loved ones as well as the larger community.

Mabon

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *