Celebrations: Disting

The Disting is an annual market which is held in Uppsala, Sweden. The name (Old Swedish: Disæþing or Disaþing) originally referred to the great assembly called the Thing of all Swedes, and it is derived from the fact that both the market and the thing were held in conjunction with the Dísablót, the great blóts (sacrifices) for female powers called dísir (they include theNorns and the Valkyries) at the Temple at Uppsala. They were all originally held at the end of February or in early March. Continue reading

Celebrations: Imbolc

Imbolc or Imbolg (pronounced i-molg ), also called (Saint) Brigid’s Day, is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of spring. Most commonly it is held on 1 February, or about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals—along with Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain. Christians observe it as the feast day of Saint Brigid, especially in Ireland. Continue reading