Winter-Spring Update (2026) + Happy Beltane!

We've just passed the first quarter of the year, so it's time for the first seasonal update of 2026 (winter-spring)! For the past few years I've written quarterly updates (from "season to season"). I previously wrote monthly updates in 2019 and then "two monthly" (two months at a time) ones in 2020, but found that quarterly was better for me. So I'm going to carry that on this year. :)

You can see my autumn-winter 2025 update here if you like: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2026/01/christmas-spiced-gingerbread-cake.html

 

As with last year, I didn't really do much during January. At the beginning of February I celebrated Imbolg/Imbolc. You can read my post about it here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2026/02/imbolg-2026.html

At the beginning of March it was my birthday. I got a few presents and a red velvet cake from Marks & Spencer. I also had takeaway from Nando's. 

Then in mid-late March it was Oestara/Ostara aka the Spring Equinox. You can read my post about my celebrations here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2026/03/oestara-2026.html

I went to the park as part of my celebrations for Oestara (see the post above) and I also went to another park the following week. I went around sunset but ended up getting there later, so it was going by the time I got to the park. It was still quite a nice evening though.

Here are a couple of photos:

View by Hove Park.

Christmas Spiced Gingerbread Cake + Autumn-Winter Update (2025)

I normally post on Sundays or Mondays but didn't manage to get this finished yesterday, so am posting today instead. :)

As with previous years, I'm doing a double post, sharing what I baked for Christmas and my last quarterly update of the year (autumn-winter). (Last year I didn't bake anything for Christmas, so shared what I baked for New Year instead). Scroll down if you just want to read the update. :)

 

Christmas Spiced Gingerbread Cake

For Christmas (2025) I baked a spiced gingerbread cake. The recipe is from Sally's Baking Addiction: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/gingerbread-cake-recipe/

It can be made as a single layer cake or a 3 layer cake and in various sizes. I made the single version. I used treacle instead of molasses, which I often do with ginger things, since it's more accessible in the UK. I also used mixed spice instead of cloves because I didn't have any and mixed spice has cloves in it.

The recipe has a cream cheese frosting which is one of my favourite icings/frostings, especially with ginger cakes! This frosting has spices in it, so I used ginger, cinnamon and mixed spice again. 

The cake was quite nice. It goes well with evaporated milk too. One of the suggestions for decorating it is festive Christmas sprinkles. I couldn't get any red and green sprinkles, so I used some multicoloured ones instead. Here's a pic:  

Summer-Autumn Update (2025) + Happy Samhain/Hallowe'en!

I normally post on Sundays or Mondays but didn't manage to get this post finished yesterday, so it's on a Tuesday instead. :) 

 

We're now in October, so it's time for my summer-autumn update! :) You can see my previous updates for 2025 below: 

Winter-Spring Update (2025):  https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2025/04/winter-spring-update-2025-easter-baking.html

Spring-Summer Update (2025): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2025/07/spring-summer-update-2025.html

Plus, Samhain/Hallowe'en is coming up), so I've included a section with inspiration for celebrating (scroll down to the bottom of the post).

In mid-July, I went to Yallabina, a belly dance event that I also went to last year. It was at a different venue this time (still in Brighton). Afterwards I got a mocha frappe from Hellenic Bakery, which I really liked. 

In late July, I met up with my belly dance friends to celebrate a birthday. We went to a pub in Woodingdean (Brighton). It was nice to see them all after a while. 

Then at the beginning of August, I celebrated Lammas. You can see my post about it here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2025/08/lammas-2025.html

I also met up with family members that month, who were visiting the UK. It was the first time I'd ever met them, so it was good. We had lunch in Harry Ramsden's (fish and chips restaurant in Brighton), then went on the pier. I've had takeaway from Harry Ramsden's but hadn't eaten in the restaurant before and I also hadn't been on the pier in years, so it made a change!

I shared a couple of pictures from that day in my Late Summer Photos + Happy Madron/Autumn! post, which you can see here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2025/09/late-summer-photos-happy-madronautumn.html

Here's a pic of my meal at Harry Ramsden's:

 

Late Summer Photos + Happy Madron/Autumn!

Back in 2019, I wrote a post called Summer Photos + Preparing for Autumn, where I shared some pictures from the summer and also wrote about getting ready for the new season. You can see it here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2019/09/summer-photos-preparing-for-autumn.html

This year, I thought I'd something similar, but since Madron aka Mabon/the Autumn Equinox is tomorrow (Monday 22nd September), I'm doing a combined post with some photos from my summer and some inspiration for celebrating Madron and the autumn season. :)

 

Late Summer Photos 

First up, here are some pics from the end of summer. 

Here are some photos I took when I met up with some family members in Brighton in August:

View from Brighton Palace Pier.

Spring Salads + Happy Beltane!

Last spring and summer I wrote two posts featuring salads to make for the seasonal festivals of Beltane and Litha/the Summer Solstice (plus summer in general). You can see them here: 

Salads for Beltane + Extra Ideas!: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2024/04/salads-for-beltane-extra-ideas.html 

Salads for Litha + Extra Ideas!: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2024/06/salads-for-litha-extra-ideas.html

 

While I'm no longer writing more in-depth posts with ideas for celebrating the sabbats, I am occasionally doing new posts with ideas if I feel inspired to. I enjoyed writing the Beltane and Litha posts last year (which also included some ideas for celebrating), so I thought this year I would share some more salads to make during mid-late spring.

Also, Beltane is coming up this week, it's on Thursday 1st May, or Wednesday 30th April, depending on when you celebrate (it traditionally goes from sundown to sundown). So I've included a few links with some more info and inspiration. :)

 

Spring Salads 

 

First up, here are some salads for spring:  

Smokey deli style chicken salad: https://www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/smoky-deli-style-chicken-salad/ 

Grilled chicken chopped kale salad with honey dill vinaigrette: https://simplytaralynn.com/2022/07/12/grilled-chicken-chopped-kale-salad-honey-dill-vinaigrette/

Chicken salad: https://simplytaralynn.com/2025/03/04/the-easiest-chicken-salad-recipe-i-eat-every-day/ 

Mediterranean tuna salad: https://natalie-mason.com/mediterranean-tuna-salad/

Italian chopped salad: https://www.preciouscore.com/italian-chopped-salad/ 

Easy edamame salad: https://plantbasedonabudget.com/easy-edamame-salad/ 

Black bean and brown rice salad: https://www.pbfingers.com/black-bean-and-brown-rice-salad/

If you're vegetarian but still want something similar to chicken salad, Brittany from A Healthy Slice of Life (who has a recipe for smokey deli style chicken salad; linked above) also a classic chickpea "chicken" salad recipe, as an alternative: https://www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/classic-chickpea-chicken-salad/

Winter-Spring Update (2025) + Easter Baking

We've just passed the first quarter of the year, so it's time for my first update of 2025! Also, since Easter is coming up next weekend, I've added a section with some Easter recipes (scroll down for that). :)

Winter-Spring Update (2025)

For the past few years I've written quarterly updates (from "season to season"). I started out writing monthly updates in 2019 and then "two monthly" (two months at a time) ones in 2020, but found that quarterly was better for me. So I'm going to carry that on in 2025. :)

You can see my autumn-winter 2024 update here if you like: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2025/01/new-year-gingerbread-cookies-autumn.html

I didn't do much during January really. I had a bit of a stressful start to the year, due to personal circumstances. 

At the beginning of February I celebrated Imbolg. You can see my post about it here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2025/02/imbolg-2025.html

Also during February, I went to Popeyes and got some food. Similarly to Slim Chickens, I'd had milkshakes from there before but not a meal. I tried Slim Chickens' food for the first time in December. I like them both, but like Popeyes' chicken a bit more and  prefer Slim Chickens' milkshakes! 

At the beginning of March I celebrated my birthday. I got a few presents and had a red velvet cake from Marks & Spencer (a small one because they didn't have the bigger one I usually get) and some food at home. I also got takeaway from Nando's. 

In mid-late March it was Ostara/Ostara aka the Spring Equinox. You can read my post about my celebration here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2025/03/oestara-2025.html

Later in March I met up with my dance friends at a pub in Hangleton (Hove). It was nice to see them.

While I'm not currently going on regular park walks , I went to the park a few times during February and March. I had planned to go to Hove Park for Oestara but ended up going to a nearer one instead, because it was quite a busy day. However, I went to Hove a couple of weeks later, around sunset. I also went to Burger King and got a double bacon cheeseburger, a mocha latte and a Coke, then went and sat in the park for a bit.

Here are a couple of photos:

View from by Hove Park.

Shifting into Winter + Yule/Christmas Links

I normally post on Sundays or Mondays but was a bit behind with this post, so it's on a Tuesday instead. :)

Winter is starting or has already started, depending on whether you go by the meterological or astronomical start. Earlier this year I wrote two posts about moving into the next season, Easing into Spring and Easing into Autumn. I didn't write one for summer this year but last year I did a post called Shifting into Summer, so this post will be the seasonal equivalent of that one. :) 

Note: If summer is starting where you are, you can see the Shifting into Summer post here (or click on the link above): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2023/06/shifting-into-summer.html

 

As I've mentioned before, I find moving from winter into spring an easier transition than going from summer into autumn, because summer is my favourite season. I feel sad to see it ending and I find the colder weather of autumn and winter depressing. 

And I find the time of year when we move from autumn into winter quite sad because autumn is a beautiful time with all the leaves changing and different colours. Also, it's not too cold and bleak yet. But although winter is my least favourite season there are still good things about it, such as Yule/the Winter Solstice and Christmas, and "cosy vibes"!

Back in 2017 I wrote a post called Getting Ready for Winter. You can see it here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2017/12/getting-ready-for-winter.html

In that post I mentioned that there are two "official" starts to winter- 1st December and around 20th December, which is the day of the Winter Solstice. The exact date varies each year. 

Easing into Autumn

I normally post on Sundays or Mondays but I was behind with another post on my entertainment blog Star Sparkle Blog, so I'm posting on a Tuesday instead. :) 

Autumn is starting (or has already begun, depending on whether you go by the astronomical or meteorological start). Back in March, I wrote a post called Easing into Spring, so I thought I would do the same for autumn. :)

I've previously written a few posts about getting ready for autumn, which you can read at the links below:

Getting Ready for Autumn: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/09/getting-ready-for-autumn.html

Celebrating Madron + Autumn: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/09/celebrating-madron-autumn.html

Summer Photos + Preparing for Autumn: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2019/09/summer-photos-preparing-for-autumn.html

Saying Goodbye to Summer, Moving into Autumn: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/09/saying-goodbye-to-summer-moving-into.html

 

Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, spring is starting! You might like my Easing into Spring post: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2024/03/easing-into-spring.html

 

This time I'm sharing  a few links with inspiration for autumn and also for the autumn festival Madron/Mabon aka the Autumn Equinox. Madron is on 22nd September this year (Sunday).

As with the spring post, I've called this one Easing into Autumn because the start of a season is a transitional time. Sometimes you might feel ready to go straight into the next season, while other times you might want to go slower. And of course the weather often varies, especially in the UK!

Salads for Litha/Summer + Extra Ideas!

It's nearly time for Litha/the Summer Solstice! This year it's on Thursday 20th June. The actual moment/time of the solstice will be 9.51 BST/3.51pm CDT. You can find your local time here: https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/summer-solstice.html

In the past I've written several posts with ideas for celebrating the sabbats. I decided to stop writing more in-depth posts last year (because I'd already covered them) but continue to share about my celebrations and write more sabbat themed posts if I felt inspired to.

This Beltane I wrote a post called Salads for Beltane and Extra + Ideas!. I enjoyed writing that, so I thought I'd do a similar one for Litha, since summer is starting and we're in "salad season"! I've called the post Salads for Litha/Summer because they would be good for any time during the summer. I'm also sharing some extra ideas for celebrating. :)

 

Here are my most recent Litha posts:

Happy Litha!: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/06/happy-litha.html

Shifting into Summer (includes some links about Litha): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2023/06/shifting-into-summer.html 

Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere,  it's almost time for Yule/the Winter Solstice! You might like this post:

Happy Yule!: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/12/happy-yule.html

 

My main celebration for the sabbats is making/having food and drink. As with Beltane, I usually have salad for Litha. It fits the theme because it's the beginning of summer and the days are (hopefully!) getting warmer and brighter. I like to drink lemonade as well. (If you're not keen on salad, you can find some alternative celebration suggestions in my previous Litha posts and under the Extra Ideas section below.)

 

Salads

All the salads mentioned in the Beltane post would also be good for Litha: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2024/04/salads-for-beltane-extra-ideas.html

 

Tomato and Onion Salad

One of my favourite salads to make for Litha is a tomato and onion one from The Kitchen Witch book by Soraya. You can see a pic here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2016/07/litha-2016.html

It's quite simple to make, the recipe is made up of tomato and onion, garlic, salt and black pepper, lemon juice and olive oil. I most often use brown/yellow onion but it's also good with red onion, which I've used for Litha some years. I was inspired to use red onion after making kachumbari for Beltane (see below). Last Litha I made it with both brown and red onion.

Salads for Beltane + Extra Ideas!

It's almost Beltane! This year it's Wednesday 1st May, or Tuesday 30th April (tomorrow), depending on when you celebrate. (Many people consider it to be from sundown on 30th April to sundown on 1st May.) In the past I've written posts with ideas for celebrating the sabbats. While I stopped doing that last year (since I felt I'd covered them all and didn't want to repeat myself), I thought it would be nice to write something when I felt inspired to, so today I'm sharing some salads for Beltane (plus some extra ideas). :)  

 

Here are my most recent Beltane posts:

Winter-Spring Update + Beltane Round-up (2021, scroll down for the round-up): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/04/winter-spring-update-beltane-round-up.html

Happy Beltane! (2022): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/04/happy-beltane.html

I also included a Beltane section at the end of last year's winter-spring update (at the bottom after P.S.):

Winter-Spring Update (2023) + Happy Beltane!: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2023/04/winter-spring-update-2023-happy-beltane.html

 

Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, Samhain is coming! Check out my last few Samhain Celebration posts here:

Samhain/Hallowe'en Round-up (my round-up post from 2021): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/10/samhainhalloween-round-up.html

Happy Samhain/Hallowe'en! (2022)): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/10/happy-samhainhalloween.html

Summer-Autumn Update (2023) + Happy Samhain/Hallowe'en! (section at the bottom): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2023/10/summer-autumn-update-2023-happy-samhain.html  

My main celebration for the sabbats is having/making food and drink. For Beltane I usually have some kind of salad, since it's a spring festival, moving towards summer. Salads are a lighter food that lots of us feel more like eating in the warmer months. (If you're not into salad though, you can find alternative ideas for food and celebrating in general in my past posts, and also in the Extra Ideas section at the bottom of the post!). 

I normally have my salad with some other foods like chicken, crisps (chips), dips etc., I also like to have some kind of sparkling drink, like elderflower or lemonade.

 

Salads

Chicken Salad

In 2014 I made a chicken salad sandwich. You can see a pic here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2014/05/beltane.html

Here is an Asian chicken salad from Julia of Lemon Stripes. I haven't made it but it looks nice: https://lemonstripes.com/recipes/asian-chicken-salad/

 

And here are a few more chicken salads that look good:

BLT chicken salad: https://natalie-mason.com/blt-chicken-salad/

Healthy chicken salad (can be eaten as a salad, wrap, or sandwich: https://www.eatyourselfskinny.com/healthy-chicken-salad

Honey mustard chicken salad with bacon and avocado: https://cafedelites.com/honey-mustard-chicken-salad/

Easing into Spring

Spring is starting (or has already started depending on whether you go by the meterological or astronomical start). I've previously written a few posts about getting ready for spring, which you can see below:

Getting Ready for Spring: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/03/getting-ready-for-spring.html

Preparing for Spring + Spring Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2019/03/preparing-for-spring-spring-inspiration.html

Oestara + Spring Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2020/03/oestara-spring-inspiration.html

Winter Photos + Preparing for Spring (2021): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/03/winter-photos-preparing-for-spring.html

Saying Goodbye to Winter, Moving into Spring: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/02/saying-goodbye-to-winter-moving-into.html

 

Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, autumn is starting! You might like these posts:

Getting Ready for Autumn: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/09/getting-ready-for-autumn.html

Autumn Photos + Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/10/autumn-photos-inspiration.html

Autumn 2020 + More Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2020/10/autumn-2020-photos-more-inspiration.html

Saying Goodbye to Summer, Moving into Autumn: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/09/saying-goodbye-to-summer-moving-into.html

 

This year I thought I would share a few links with inspiration for spring. And also for  the spring festivals Oestara aka Ostara/the Spring Equinox and Easter. Oestara is on Wednesday 20th March this year, or tomorrow (Tuesday 19th March), depending on your time zone. Easter is 31st March.

I called the post Easing into Spring because the start of seasons are transitional times. Sometimes you might feel like going full steam ahead into the next season, and other times you might want to go slower. Often at this time of year the weather is still colder and winter lingers. 

As I mentioned in my Imbolg 2024 post, we had snow in the UK in January. Some parts of the country have had some more recently but we haven't had any more in Sussex, just a lot of rain. At the moment it's been warmer, about 14C (56F) during the day and 9C (48F) at night. There's meant to be colder weather again and more snow in some places next week though.

Celebrating Oestara!

It's almost time for Oestara (more commonly known as Ostara) aka the Spring Equinox! This year it's on Monday 20th March. 

Note: For those in the Southern Hemisphere it's nearly time for Madron/Mabon aka the Autumn Equinox. You might like these posts:

Madron Round-up + Autumn Baking: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/09/madron-round-up-autumn-baking.html

Celebrating Madron!: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/09/happy-madron.html

 

For the past few years, I've written posts sharing celebration ideas for the sabbats and last year I did a post rounding them up. During 2022 I also started writing a series of posts sharing some ideas and inspiration for celebrating and links to other sites, rather than in-depth posts and have continued that into 2023. As I said in my Yule 2022 one, I feel that I've pretty much covered them all now, since each festival has several posts. 

This Oestara post completes my current round of sabbat ones (which I started last Beltane), so going forward I will probably just write about my celebrations and maybe write short posts before the sabbats. I do appreciate everyone who has read them and plan to continue blogging about seasonal festivals here. I just don't want to keep rehashing the same thing. :) (As with my most recent Madron post, I've previously written a post called Happy Oestara!, so that's why this title is a bit different.)

Oestara (often spelt as "Ostara" but I first heard about it with the alternative spelling) is the 2nd of 3 spring festivals on the Wheel of the Year, coming after Imbolg/Imbolc (which marks the transition from winter to spring) at the start of February and before Beltane (mid-spring) in late April/early May. It's also the Spring Equinox, which is often seen as the "official" start of spring. 

The Spring Equinox is an astrological event where day and night are fairly equal, due to the position of the Earth moving around the sun. It's the opposite to the Autumn Equinox (also known as Madron/Mabon) in September. After this time the days will continue to get longer until the Summer Solstice (known as Litha to some pagans). I wrote a bit about it in my 2019 Oestara Celebration Ideas post.

Happy Yule!

 

Yule/the Winter Solstice is nearly here! This year it's on Wednesday 21st December. In the past I've written several posts with ideas for celebrating and last year I did a round-up linking to them, (which also featured some baking ideas for both Yule and Christmas). During 2022 I've been writing posts sharing ideas and links for the sabbats rather than an in-depth post, so here is Yule's (the final one of the year).

Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere it's almost time for Litha aka Midsummer/the Summer Solstice. You might like my Happy Litha! post: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/06/happy-litha.html

 

Yule, also known as Midwinter and the Winter Solstice, is the final sabbat of the calendar year and is considered either the 1st or 2nd sabbat in the Wheel of the Year, depending on your viewpoint (as I've discussed in the 2018 and 2021 posts). I tend to think of the previous sabbat Samhain (31st October) as both the end of one cycle and the start of a new one.

Note: The Winter Solstice is the astrological event and Yule is the modern pagan name for the festival, but many people use both terms.

The Winter Solstice (which is always around 21st December) is the time of year with the shortest day and longest night in the Northern Hemisphere (the opposite of the Summer Solstice (also celebrated as Litha by pagans) in the Southern Hemisphere. The actual (scientific) time of the solstice this year is 9.48pm UK time (GMT). To find the time in your country visit this link: https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/winter-solstice.html

 

Update 14/12/25: Updated/replaced links.  

 

Happy Samhain/Hallowe'en!

I normally post on Sundays or Mondays, but I wasn't able to get this finished yesterday, so I'm posting today instead. :) 

 

Samhain (my favourite sabbat apart from Lammas) is coming up! This year it's on a Monday (31st October). I also celebrate Hallowe'en, which is thought to have originated from Samhain customs. In the past I've written several posts with ideas for celebrating and last year I did a round-up post linking to them all. During 2022 I've been writing posts sharing some links and ideas for the sabbats, rather than an in-depth post, so here is Samhain's. :)

Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere Beltane is almost here! You might like my Happy Beltane! post: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/04/happy-beltane.html

 

Samhain is the 3rd and final harvest festival on the Wheel of the Year, coming after Lammas in late July/early August and Madron/Mabon aka the Autumn Equinox in September. It marks the end of summer and the start of the winter season. Madron is the official start of autumn, but I think in the past summer and winter were seen as the bigger seasonal shifts. It is also thought to be one of the times of year (along with Beltane) when the veil between the worlds is thin. It is a cross-quarter sabbat and a fire festival, and takes places on 31st October, although some people may celebrate from 31st Oct to 1st November (sundown to sundown).

Celebrating Madron!

Madron aka Mabon/the Autumn Equinox is nearly here! This year it's on Friday 23rd September (or Thursday 22nd Sept depending on your time zone; see below). For the past few years, I've written posts with inspiration and celebration ideas. Last year I did a round-up of my previous Madron posts. During 2022 I've been doing posts sharing some links and ideas for the sabbats, rather than doing in-depth ones, so this year's Madron post is similar. (I previously did a post called Happy Madron! in 2016, so the title for this one is different to the other 2022 posts.)

I normally post on Sunday or Monday but didn't manage to get this finished yesterday, so I'm posting on a Tuesday. :)

Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere it's almost time for Oestara aka Ostara/the Spring Equinox. You may like my Oestara Round-up post: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/03/oestara-round-up.html

 

Madron is the 2nd harvest festival on the Wheel of the Year, coming after Lammas (around 1st August) and before Samhain (which takes place on 31st October and was the precursor for Hallowe'en). It's also the Autumn Equinox which is often thought of as the "official" start of autumn.

The Autumn Equinox is when day and night are equal (or roughly equal), the opposite to the Spring Equinox (also known as Oestara/Ostara) in March. (In the Southern Hemisphere it's reversed, so their Spring Equinox is in September and their Autumn Equinox is in March.) It also marks the astronomical start of autumn (the metrological start was on 1st September).

Happy Lammas!

Lammas (my favourite sabbat apart from Samhain) is nearly here! This year it's on Monday 1st August (tomorrow!), although some may celebrate from sundown on 31st July to sundown on 1st August, or on 2nd Aug.

For the past few years, I've written posts with celebration ideas for Lammas. Last year I did a round-up of my previous Lammas posts, so for 2022 I'm just sharing some links and ideas, rather than an in-depth post (like I did for Beltane and Litha). :)

Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere it's time for Imbolg/Imbolc! You might like my Imbolg round-up post: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/01/imbolg-round-up.html

I also came across this post about celebrating Imbolc from an Australian blogger: https://thefrugalbrownwitch.wordpress.com/2015/07/23/imbolc-celebrations-for-the-frugal-family/

 

 

Lammas (also called Lughnasadh) is the first harvest festival on the Wheel of the Year (followed by Madron/Mabon (aka the Autumn Equinox) in September and Samhain in October). It's also the last sabbat associated with summer, marking the start of the transition from summer to autumn. It comes after Beltane at the end of April/beginning of May, which although it is a spring festival, marks the shift into summer and Litha in June, which is also the Summer Solstice and the official start of summer. 

 

Happy Beltane!

I normally post on Sundays or Mondays, but got a bit behind this weekend, so I'm posting today instead. :)

 

Beltane is coming up next weekend (Sunday 1st May or Sat 30th April if you celebrate from sundown to sundown). I've written a few posts with celebration ideas and inspiration over the past few years and last year I rounded them up, so for Beltane 2022 I'm just going to share some links and ideas, rather than a more in-depth post. :)

Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere Samhain is coming! Check out my Samhain/Hallowe'en Round-up post here (2021): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/10/samhainhalloween-round-up.html

 

Beltane (also spelt Beltaine) is the 3rd and final spring festival on the Wheel of the Year, coming after Imbolg/Imbolc on 2nd February and Oestara/Ostara aka the Spring Equinox around 21st March. It is a fire festival linked to the Fire God Bel. It is also a cross quarter festival and its other themes include mid-spring, the union of the God and Goddess and fertility, and the start of the shift from spring to summer (although summer is considered to "officially" start on Litha/the Summer Solstice in June). 

Oestara Round-up

It's almost time for Oestara (more commonly known as Ostara) aka the Spring Equinox! This year it's on Sunday 20th March.

 

Note: For those in the Southern Hemisphere it's nearly time for Madron/Mabon aka the Autumn Equinox. You might like these posts:

 Madron/Autumn Equinox Celebration Ideas: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2017/09/madronautumn-equinox-celebration-ideas.html

Celebrating Madron/Autumn: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/09/celebrating-madron-autumn.html

Madron Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2019/09/madron-inspiration.html

Baking for Madron + Extra Ideas!: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2020/09/baking-for-madron-extra-ideas.html

Madron Round-up + Autumn Baking: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/09/madron-round-up-autumn-baking.html

 

For the past few years, I've written celebration posts for Oestara. Last year I started a series of round-up posts for each sabbat and am continuing that into 2022, so here is Oestara's! :)

Oestara (more often spelt as "Ostara" but I first came across it with the "e" added) is the 2nd spring festival on the Wheel of the Year and celebrates the "official" shift into spring. The name is thought to have come from the Goddess Eostre, so it's not surprising that this sabbat also has links to the Christian festival Easter! 

Update 15/4/26: I added a section in my Happy Oestara! post about the fact that there are conflicting opinions about Oestara and Easter being linked. For more on that, see that post linked below or click here.

Oestara comes after Imbolc/Imbolg at the beginning of February (which marks the start of the transition from winter to spring) and before Beltane at the end of April/start of May (when we start to shift from spring to summer).

Imbolg Round-up

It's almost time for Imbolg (more commonly called Imbolc), the first sabbat of 2022! This year it's on Wednesday 2nd February, or Tuesday 1st Feb if you celebrate on the 1st. (Some people celebrate from sundown on the 1st to sundown on the 2nd.)

 

Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere it's nearly Lammas! Check out these posts for inspiration:

Lammas Celebration Ideas: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2017/07/lammas-celebration-ideas.html

Celebrating Lammas: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/07/celebrating-lammas.html

July Update + Lammas Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2019/07/july-update-lammas-inpiration.html

Baking for Lammas + Extra Ideas!: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2020/07/baking-for-lammas-extra-ideas.html

Lammas Round-up: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/07/lammas-round-up.html

 

The past few years I've written celebration idea posts for Imbolg. During 2021 I wrote a series of round-up posts for each sabbat, featuring a mix of past posts on the blog and links for articles on other sites. So, I'll continue that into 2022 with one for Imbolg. :)  

Imbolg is the first sabbat of the calendar year and the second or third on the Wheel of the Year, depending on whether you consider the cycle to start at Samhain (ending and beginning again) or Yule. Although some people think of Imbolg as the New Year.

Yule Round-up + Yule/Christmas Baking

 

Yule/the Winter Solstice, is almost here. This year it's on Tuesday 21st December. The actual (scientific) time of the Winter Solstice (see below for more on that) will be 10.59am EST/15.58pm GMT. Find the time in your country here: https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/winter-solstice.html

 

Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere it's almost time for Litha aka Midsummer/the Summer Solstice. Here are my Litha celebration ideas posts:

Litha/Midsummer Celebration Ideas (also a post about no-yeast dinner rolls): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2017/06/baking-no-yeast-dinner-rolls-and.html

Celebrating Litha/Summer: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/06/celebrating-litha-summer.html

Litha Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2019/06/litha-inspiration_17.html

Litha + Summer Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2020/06/litha-summer-inspiration.html

Litha Round-up: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/06/litha-round-up.html

 

The past few years I've written celebration and inspiration posts for Yule. During 2021 I've written round-up posts for the sabbats, featuring my past posts and articles from other sites. So here is Yule's. I've also included a Yule/Christmas baking section at the end. :)

 Update 14/12/25: Updated/replaced links.  

 

Yule, also known as Midwinter and the Winter Solstice, is the final sabbat of the calendar year. It's either the 1st or 2nd sabbat on the Wheel of the Year, depending on whether you consider Samhain as the end of one year and the start of the new year, or Yule as the beginning of the new cycle. I've written about this before in my Celebrating Yule/Christmas post. Opinion varies on this and some people also celebrate the Pagan New Year at Imbolg/Imbolc in early February (which is the first sabbat of the new calendar year). I consider Samhain the end of one year and the start of the new one, but it's up to you. :)