ALBAN ARTHAN

This is the return of the sun, the shortest day of the whole year and the night of the most unbalanced moon. After this night the sun gets stronger and stronger.
This is not the real middle of the winter time, it is the solstitial point of the sun.
 

DATE
About December 21st, winter solstice
 

CORRESPONDING MODERN FEAST
Christmas
 

CELTIC GODS
Cernunnos, Mabon
 

ASSIGNMENT
Sun event, male
 

CUSTOMS
Christmas trees, holly and ivy, kissing under the mistletoe branch, needfire during the night waking until the morning dawn, bell ringing
 

SYMBOLS
Fir branches, deer antlers, reindeer, mistletoe
 

DEDICATED FOOD
White wine, white cakes, bitter herbs, mints, juniper brew
 

SMOKE WORK
Fir, cedar and juniper, zandelwood, fir fire
 

TRESHOLD TIME
Dawn