This is an organic document, and is being regularly updated.  If
your interpretation of a holiday isn't mentioned, please let me 
know.

Marc Carlson
Marc-Carlson@UTULSA.EDU
Last updated 1998
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For some traditions, these Holidays begin at Sundown the evening
BEFORE the date given.

Horn Dance     1st Monday after the 1st Sunday after Sept 4.
               12 Horned dancers.

13 Sept        Festival of the Deermen.
               Horned Dancers escort Robin Hood.

Sept 22        (Autumnal Equinox, the Celebration of the Autumnal
               Equinox; Mabon; Mean Foghamhar; Harvest Home; Feast
               of St. Matthew the Apostle)
               End of Summer and the Beginning of Winter, the
               "Season of the Sun's Loss".  End of the Harvest.
               Mabon is believed to be a form of the Welsh word
               for "son." It should probably be pronounced
               "MA-bon" with the "a" like in "mass." However, most
               Wiccans and pagans say "MAY-bon."  Mabon mab
               Modron, aka Mabon mab Mellt, aka Maponos map
               Matrona, is the "Great Youth", and is related by
               the Romans to Apollo for his healing, illuminatory
               and eloquance attributes. 
               This is the autumn equinox. 
            *Interpretations*
               *  Day and night are equal as Fall begins the
               descent into the dark times.
               *  The meanings of this particular holiday fall
               into three basic groups: that as a harvest festival
               of Thanksgiving to God (the Gods, or the Goddess)
               for a rich and successful harvest; as a time of
               ritually honoring the sacrifice in the hope of a
               rich and successful harvest; the death of the God
               of Light at the hand of the God of Darkness.
               *  In some versions of this holiday, this is when
               the god of Light is defeated by his twin and
               alter-ego, the God of Darkness (for example, Llew
               and Blodenwedd/Goronwy/Horned King; Balor and the
               Maiming of Nuada).  It is the time of the year when
               night conquers day.  Although the formal coronation
               of the victor will not be for another six weeks,
               occurring at Samhain (Halloween) or the beginning
               of Winter, when he becomes the Winter Lord, the
               Dark King, Lord of Misrule.
               *  To some people, this is a festival honoring Lugh
               and In Morrigan.
               *  This marks a time of rest after the bulk of the
               hard work of gathering in the crops.
               *  This is a festival of symbolic human sacrifice,
               just as Easter is at the other end of the year,
               this is the sacrifice of the Spirit of Vegetation,
               the honoring the sacrifice of the king of the
               Harvest festivals (John Barleycorn/the Corn
               King/the Wickerman).  It is acting out the death
               and resurrection of the spirit of vegetation,
               reflecting that at the Vernal Equinox.  Cernunnos,
               Grangousier, Herne the Hunter, the Green Man
               *  This ties in to the myth of the Sacred King
               sacrifice, when the blood of the King is shed to
               replenish the Land (something that, I must point
               out doesn't really have a verifiable historical
               basis)
               *  The spirit of the Corn Mother (Harvest Mother,
               the Old Woman; Grandmother; the Old Man) is
               believed to remain in the last sheaf or shock of
               the harvested grain, which was dressed in fine
               clothes, or woven into a man-shaped form, which was
               then cut and carried from the fields with great
               rejoicing.  Sometimes it was burned, sometimes it
               was kept until the next year.
               *  N.b. Historically, not a big "Celtic" holiday 
               but more generally is appears to have been more of
               of Germanic origin).

29 September   (Michaelmas)
               The feast of the Archangel Michael.
               *  The end of the agricultural year.
               *  In the Middle Ages, it was the time when the
               annual accounts were compiled and the last
               installments of rent were due.
               *  Grey Goose.

1st Sunday in October
               A harvest Feast. Blessing of the fishing nets.

Mid October    Blessing of the fishing harvest.