Asatru works off of a solar calendar, rather than a lunar one, for its major holidays (listed below). Our kindred also meets at full and/or new moons for worship and magical work.

Holidays of the Norse

Yule - The major festival of the Asatru calendar. The Yule celebration, which is traditionally twelve days in length, celebrates the passing of the midpoint of winter, which was very important in the ancient North. Gods honored at Yule include both Thor and Freyr.

Disting

Summer Finding / Ostara - This spring festival is sacred to the Goddess Ostara, for whom the modern Christian festival of Easter is named. Ostara was a Goddess of fertility, a particular kind of fertility dealing with the earth and crops.

Beltane/Walpurgisnacht

Midsummer Day - This was the second most important festival to the ancients, after Yule. Different modern groups honor different Gods and Goddesses on Midsummer, with the two leading contenders being the god Balder and the goddess Sunna. Customs include making sun wheels with wicker and candles, and some people stay up through the night to mark the longest day of the year.

Winter Finding - This is a festival to celebrate the harvests, and as such occurs in the fall. It is a time to give thanks to the gods for the harvest, and as such Frey and Freya or Njort and Nerthus are often honored at this time.

Winter Nights - This festival honors the Disir, the family spirits. It is a time to recognize the accomplishments of those who have gone on to Valhalla, as well as to celebrate the love of the family. Freya is usually the goddess of choice at this festival, since the lore refers to her as the Goddess of the Disir.

Copyright © 1998
Revised - 2/11/07
URL: http://www.speakeasy.org/~barhelm/gak/greatash.htm