The fall celebration of harvest in Pagan communities is known as Mabon. Traditionally, the autumn equinox falls around September 21 in the northern hemisphere. Because this is a time of year when the amount of daylight is about the same as the nighttime, the focus is on the gifts of the earth while remembering that the soil is dying. It’s a time of balance and harvest. There is plenty to eat, but nature will soon be going dormant.
Celebrations Around the World Related to Autumn Equinox
In China, the moon’s birthday falls during the same time as Mabon. Families gather to celebrate the rice harvest and to honor the moon. If you see flowers falling from the moon on its birthday, you will receive a special blessing. In Germanic countries, spare sacks of flour are emptied into the wind to give Odin his share of the grain harvest.
Michaelmas, an English holiday celebrated September 29, used to be a holy day. It isn’t traditionally a Pagan holiday, but includes aspects of the Pagan customs. In medieval times, it was when workers would be paid for the upcoming year, accounts were balanced, and annual dues to local guilds were paid. The harvest was celebrated by weaving dolls from corn husks, and large loaves of oat bread, or bannocks, would be baked to be served with a special roast goose.
In Nigeria, the Yoruba tribe dances to honor its ancestors in a celebration of the yam harvest. Yams are a symbol of fertility, and dancers would be given yams in the hopes of a fertile crop the following year. The Iroquois celebrate the corn harvest with a dance. Corn bread and soup are an important part of its culture.
Gods and Goddesses Who Exemplify the Celebration of Mabon
Although most commonly the Greek and Roman gods are associated with Paganism, many other cultures have their harvest gods who gave the gifts from the land and sea. Here are some of the harvest gods associated with Mabon:
- Demeter- the Greek goddess of grain and harvest who is responsible for the dormant season
- Persephone – the Greek goddess of spring, daughter of Demeter
- Artemis – a Greek goddess of the hunt and forest
- Diana – a Roman goddess of the chase, guardian of the forest
- Cernunnos – a Celtic god, the lord of the forest, associated with fertility and vegetation
- Mixcoatl – an Aztec god of the hunt
- Odin – a Norse god of the wild hunt
- Dionysus – the Greek god of grapes and wine
- Bacchus – the Roman party god
- Tezcatzontecatl – an Aztec god associated with harvest and fertility
- Osiris – an Egyptian god who brewed beer for the Egyptian pantheon and became associated with the harvest
Foods of the Mabon Festival
In many areas, Mabon is the start of the hunting season. Although not all Pagans eat meat because the idea of caring for animals is paramount to their beliefs, some do believe that hunting for food is acceptable. The stag, with its full set of antlers, is a symbol of fertility. Many gods in Egyptian legend wear horns on their head.
Apples and grapes are generally harvested and processed in the fall and are foods that are highly prized during Mabon. Wine and cider made from these fruits are valued drinks to give flavor and interest to plain dishes over the winter months when there would be a lack of fresh produce. Hazelnuts typically ripen in the middle of September, and they are a symbol of wisdom and protection.
Autumn shades of gold, orange, and brown are reflected in the leaves and grains that decorate homes during the fall. Corn, root vegetables, and sheaves of wheat are all symbols of Mabon that decorate the altar of celebration of harvest. Pomegranates and pumpkins are also widely used during this season of bounty.