By: Aisling Bronach of House Shadow Drake

There are many common misconceptions about holidays and celebrations found within Paganism. Here are some examples of the most common mistakes and explanations as to why they are incorrect.

Eostre is not celebrated on the Spring Equinox. Instead, the correct day is the first full moon after the equinox. The reason for this was because the goddess Eostre was highly interwoven with lunar lore. The spring equinox was celebrated as well, but the celebration was of a different nature and for different reasons.

Beltaine is often incorrectly referred to as Lady's Day. There is no historical justification to refer to Beltaine as such. Rather, it is the spring equinox which should be called Lady's Day.

Litha is not the name that was originally given to the summer solstice. Litha is actually a fictitious term that was invented during the last century utilizing linguistic principles of the Anglo-Saxon language.

Lughnasdah is not a celebration related to the Irish god Lugh. Rather, it is a remembrance of his foster-mother Tailtui and commemorates her funeral games. Which is why horse races were held at the Telltown fair because the horse was sacred to Tailtui.

Yule is a realistic term for the winter solstice. Some people have claimed that there is no historical justification for this name. However, it is a later adaptation to the Anglo-Saxon Yula.