(All dates given are for the Southern Hemisphere)

Samhain April 30th

The gate of the year. In Europe in the days of old it would have been celebrated with the first frosts, or when the oak trees lost its leaves. It means Summer's end in Celtic because they thought the year to have two seasons rather than four. The God is in the underworld waiting rebirth and the Goddess is seen as a crone. It is the time of year when the veils between the worlds are at their thinnest, and we celebrate loved ones passed over. This was because it was the time of year that families again came together after their Summers work, maybe grazing their stock in the high grounds over Summer. News and stories were exchanged, births, deaths of the Summer. It was also a time to prepare for Winter. Winter would take the weakest members with its harshness, as they would succumb to the cold. Therefore the old would be honoured as they were weak. The stock would be culled for this reason also, and to conserve precious feed, the excess blood from the culled stock would also contribute to the thinning of the veils between the worlds.
This is where Halloween comes from.

Winter Solstice or Yule
June 22nd

The Sun's energies are at the lowest, because it is the shortest day of the year. They will gain from here on till mid Summer. Because of this rekindles Sun's energies we see the God in rebirth. In Greek mythology it is when Dionysus was born. In Norse it is actually the great Goddess Freya but the essence of a rebirth as the significant idea, even the Christians placed the birth of Jesus near this date, and all rites associated with Christmas are based on previous pagan rites.

Imbolc
August 1st

The Sun/God is growing in strength, the days are longer. Preparations are made to plow the soil as the first thaws are happening. The Goddess and God are seen as young children. This is what candlemas is based on (purification of the Virgin Mary)

Spring Equinox
September 21st (all equinoxes and solstices may vary slightly, check newspapers or ring local observatories for exact times and dates)

Day and night are of equal length, but light is gaining strength. The Goddess and God are in their adolescence and are joyful with the exuberance of youth. Morris men used to dance with their staff and bells to wake up Mother Earth. This is the festival Easter was based upon so all the fertility symbols such as the egg are current here. Flowers are blooming and the sun is shinning, celebrate by dancing around the maypole.

Beltane
October 31st

The first signs of Summer are on their way! The God is now a young hunter, strong enough to prove himself by running with the deer. A May Queen (Yes I know it is not May, but she still gets called May Queen) is chosen, together they will ensure the fertility of the land. The fertility of the Earth and Sun is celebrated through two nominated King and Queen as it is hopes such enactment will bring a plentiful harvest.

Mid Summer Solstice
December 22nd

The Sun/God has reached the peak of his strength on this day and will wane from this day towards Winter. We celebrate the goodness he has produced for us in helping Mother Earth fulfil fertility. This will ensure that we have store in our cupboards through the darkness of the coming Winter.

Lammas or Lughnasad
February 2nd

We give thanks for the beginning of the harvest. Lammas comes from the Saxon word for feast of bread. Lughnasad is the festival of Celtic Sun God Lugh, who gave his name to London (originally called Lughdunum). We see the Sun God as being cut down with the harvested crops, and his death in the form of the grain will sustain us.

Autumnal Equinox or Mabon
March 22nd

We say goodbye to the strength of the Sun, as the God is descending to the underworld until his rebirth in Yule, he was conceived last Beltain, himself being both father and son to himself, as the Goddess is also mother and lover, but this is not insectuace, it is merely a cycle of two forces of the Earth and Sun. Celebrate the end of the harvest and prepare for the coming Winter.

(These are Southern Hemisphere dates)