Happy Mabon: For The Norse? "Last Harvest"

Happy Mabon! Today, Tuesday September 22, 2009, is celebrated historically as the "Last Day of Harvest For The Year." That's according to Norse traditions where this day is celebrated a bit like a Thanksgiving feast with fall decorations and good food. For NeoPagans? This day is referred to as "Mabon." Both daylight and darkness now consume an equal number of hours in this day's 24-hour cycle.

For our ancestors, this blot usually involved the collection of fruit (such as grapes) and honey to brew mead and wine. Considered a minor holiday, most of the new fermented drinks would be set aside for the larger festival at Midwinter, for Winternights and Yule.

Naturally, as with most Pagan holidays, there's a Christianized version of this event. The Medieval church declared that this Pagan harvest should be celebrated on September 25th and Priests relabeled it "Michaelmas" in honor of another one of their saints.

{Click on today's beautiful borrowed image to enlarge and see it in its original context}

For more information on Mabon:

• Here's ideas that Pumpkins and Toadstools recommended for "going on a walk and scavenging objects," etc. http://pumpkinsandtoadstools.blogspot.com/
• For an awesome CRAFT project (where you can find detailed instructions for making a cinnamon altar candle) visit Faeriely Odd Witches blog at http://faerielyoddwitches.blogspot.com/
• Want to know more about the history of Mabon? Read Beyond The Fields We Know at http://kerrdelune.blogspot.com/
• Got kids? Here's a fall apple-art project they might enjoy making to celebrate the fall season: Granny Smith (wrinkly old apple-heads) http://wondertime.go.com/create-and-play/article/granny-smith.html