THE SEASONAL EVENTS AND HOLIDAYS + GEOMETRY AND SYMBOLISM IN SYMBIOSIS

 

Connections: More than just tracking time and the influences of the Sun and Moon on the seasons, and using stars to further help sort out the concepts of measuring calendars, they are also considered expressions of the Divine Order behind and beyond all existence and as such have names applied to the One God and Three Goddesses based on their meanings, not particular and often distorted mythologies. 

 

What Holiday Means

 

• Etymology: Derived from Old English “hāligdæg” (holy day), from “holi” (heal, make whole). A holiday is a celebration of life, completion, or renewal, not merely a “sacred” (set apart) event.

• Noun: A day of festivity (feast time) or rest, often commemorating events or traditions. Also, an extended leisure period, like a vacation.

• Verb: To spend time in a specific place for rest or celebration (e.g., “holidaying in the mountains”).

• Evolution: Originally, holidays blended spiritual and practical life without a religious-secular divide. Modern distinctions (religious vs. secular) are artificial, as all holidays reflect the culture and era they emerge from.

• Purpose: Celebrate life, renewal, and the One God and Three Goddesses (One and Three), reinforcing the Drikeyu’s principles. Each holiday ties to a season and month, reflecting natural cycles (e.g., solstices, equinoxes) and the processes (creation, sustenance, destruction of obstacles), originally as a guide to help people become more successful at hunting, fishing and herding which eventually developed into farms, villages, towns, then cities more or less, though not always in that same uniform ordered process.

• Symbolism: The triple spiral and triquetras connect the holidays to the Divine Unity of the One and Three, with grounding them in the sense of ultimate cosmic order and natural harmonies.

 

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Clarification: Unlike our section on observances, this provides a more direct list of Holidays/Observances we have adopted and adapted for much older sources than many other "new religions" draw from. As such this is why they will be significantly different from the usual associations while still remaining firmly rooted in the previous information and guidelines which also clarifies how we have adapted them and why. Note, that Winter Solstice is considered the Highest Time because it's when the calendars mutually converge and considered in many ancient customs when the old ends and the new begins.  

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EIGHT FOLD CALENDAR

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The Eight-fold Seasonal Calendar is not exactly the same as those that recognize a similar set as they are often based on disconnected roots or confused information. Our Druish Calendars make efforts to correct these issues and draw from known traditions but is uniquely rooted in the shared cultural heritage of communities in Europe, Scandinavia, and Siberia who lived symbiotically with Caribou/Reindeer, and other migratory animals, following and honoring their migratory customs, and adapted directly into the following festivals. Note that the associated name of the One God and Three Goddesses each have dual sets of names associated with each festival.

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Pre-Spring (February 1–2): Light Festival

 

1. Context: Pregnant caribou cows begin leading their herds from pine forests to open fields as spring’s glow emerges.

2. Practices: Torch parades and fire dancing celebrate returning sunlight, symbolizing warmth and new life. Traditions are associated with cattle and rain rather than snow.

3. Divine Aspect: First Goddess, Fulla (Fullness), embodying abundance and joy.

4. Significance: Welcomes light, promising renewal and aligning with lengthening days.

 

Spring (March 21–22): Life Festival

 

1. Context: As snow melts and flowers bloom, caribou calves are born. Herders light bonfires to deter predators and hunt stragglers.

2. Practices: Egg gifting, celebrating baby animals and parenthood, spring cleaning, and burning waste (old food, debris) to clear fields and purge vermin.

3. Divine Aspect: Second Goddess, Bera (Bear/Birth, akin to Bird), representing rebirth.

4. Significance: Marks the equinox, balancing day and night, and symbolizes renewal through birth and cleansing.

 

Pre-Summer (May 1–2): Flower Festival

 

1. Context: Caribou graze on fresh growth while their young are nurtured. Herders maintain protective fires.

2. Practices: Celebrate blooming youth through flowers, learning customs, and leaping over fires to banish “Ghost Sickness.” Votive boats with lamps guide spirits to the hereafter.

3. Divine Aspect: Third Goddess, Lyfa (Life/Leaf), embodying vitality.

4. Significance: Honors nature’s full bloom, symbolizing health, fertility, and purification.

 

Summer (June 21–22): Midsummer Festival

 

1. Context: Herders mark calves, repair tools and tents, and share stories for entertainment and teaching.

2. Practices: Strength is celebrated through sports, exercise, and crafting, reflecting young animals play-fighting to establish roles.

3. Divine Aspect: God as Hernan (Horned One), symbolizing the dominance of light and life at this time of the year.

4. Significance: Marks the solstice, when daylight reaches its peak, fostering resilience and preparation.

 

Pre-Fall (August 1–2): Harvest Festival

 

1. Context: Caribou bulls are selected for slaughter to conserve resources, with hides and bones repurposed for tools and clothing.

2. Practices: Feasting, trading, hunting, and harvesting (hay, wheat, barley) offer gratitude for the abundance of land, sea, and sky.

3. Divine Aspect: First Goddess, Fidia (Feeds), embodying nourishment.

4. Significance: Marks the beginning of the harvest, celebrating abundance and gratitude.

 

Fall (September 21–22): Love Festival

 

1. Context: During caribou mating season, herders fish, gather berries, and witness bulls battling for dominance.

2. Practices: Festivities include romantic celebrations, weddings, contests of skill and strength, games, and fortune-telling for pairing partners. Fermented fruit wine enhances the celebrations.

3. Divine Aspect: Second Goddess, Lofia (Love), embodying connection and unity.

4. Significance: Marks the equinox, fostering love and community harmony.

 

Pre-Winter (November 1–2): Hunters Fest

 

1. Context: Herders track caribou to marshlands, culling weaker animals to prepare for winter.

2. Practices: Celebrations center around hunting, food preservation, storytelling, and offerings at tombs as temples. 

3. Divine Aspect: Third Goddess, Hunta (Huntress), representing survival and death.

4. Significance: Marks the darker half of the year, honoring ancestors and scarcity.

 

Winter (December 21–22): Midwinter Festival

 

1. Context: Caribou and herders gather in pine forests, sharing resources to maintain peace.

2. Practices: Family, friends, and strangers exchange gifts, fostering unity and hospitality during shared winter camps.

3. Divine Aspect: God as Wulder (Weilder), symbolizing rest and renewal and the laws of nature.

4. Significance: Marks the winter solstice, when darkness peaks, celebrating harmony and resilience.​​​

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​THREEFOLD MAIN HOLIDAYS AND REMAINING NINE MONTHS (TWELVE-FOLD CALENDAR)

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Central Triple Horns Symbol: Represents the One God, uniting the cosmic forces, but underlines a concept of Drinking Horns used in celebration making a direct link to the main Holiday Seasons where they are divided into Winter, Spring and Summer, and these three align with 4 months, each as the previous image expresses. The seasonal observances of Winter (Wulder), Spring (Sadan), and Summer (Grim) reflect ancient cultural practices rooted in nature, survival, and spiritual connection.

 

Each season, tied to specific lunar and solar events, carries distinct rituals, symbols, and linguistic origins, revealing the interplay of human, animal, and environmental forces across time. These are our modern adaptations derived from historical content and clarified alignments. Names in relation to the One and Three (The One God and Three Goddesses) are based specifically in the meaning of the names themselves; not a particular mythological (and often contradictory) framework. 

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SIMPLIFIED REFERENCE 

 

Wulder-Tide: Winter Festival (December 21–23)

Held during the winter solstice, Wulder-Tide emphasizes survival in harsh winters while fostering peace, hospitality, and community. It celebrates resilience through storms and the sharing of resources, strengthening family and friendship bonds in alignment with ancient traditions. Winter spans the modern Yuletide and Christmas, originally encompassing November through February. It centers on the Winter Solstice and New Year, marked by communal celebrations and survival strategies during harsh conditions.

 

Winter was a time of scarcity, with clans competing with one another and predators for dwindling game. Bonfires and communal gatherings safeguarded communities, while gift-giving solidified alliances, laying the foundation for modern holiday traditions. This overlaps with the Midwinter Festival of Yule which derives from Old Germanic and Norse variants (ġiell, giul, ġeōl, jól) and Greek-influenced gelos (“yell,” meaning cheerful celebration). Claims that loud festivities drowned out bloodthirsty sacrifices are unfounded, reflecting later misinterpretations. Wulder means Wielder, akin to other various as waldan, welden and wealden with a sense of ruling, authority or control, and figuratively to subdue or conquer. 

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1. GODAN AS WULDER (Wielder)

   • Three Goddesses: Gifa (Giver), Helia (Healer), Skadi (Shady)

   • Winter (North): Represents introspection and renewal.

   • Lunar Markers: Yule Month, Full Long Night Moon, Bright Cold Moon.

   • Associations: Winter storms, festivity, resource sharing, peace, and friendship.

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Practices:

 

• Feasting: Communal meals of pork, ale, bread, and a boar’s head centerpiece represent unity, with livestock culled for sustenance. Pig slaughter and cooking, communal fires, gift-giving.

• Gift-Giving: Originating as gestures of goodwill, clans exchanged resources in forest and mountain sanctuaries, fostering hospitality and unity.

• Bonfires and Yule Log: Fires symbolize the sun’s return and ward off evil, while Yule log ashes are preserved for protective rituals. Large communal bonfires, encircled by animal-hide tents, provided warmth, light, and protection from predators. Stories of survival, dangerous creatures, and narrow escapes were shared, preserving lessons and warnings across generations.

• Storytelling: Myths recount celestial caribou tracks forming the Milky Way, tying survival to divine creation.

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Symbolism:

 

• Caribou/Deer Skull: Totem of family and resilience.

• Decorations: Wreaths, garlands, trees, and mistletoe—evergreens like holly (with green leaves, white flowers, red berries) and pine—symbolize endurance. Holly’s sharp leaves represent protection, while pine’s fragrance connects to forests where nomadic clans followed caribou herds.

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Freo-Tide: Spring Festival (April 30–May 2)

 

Known as Sadan (Seeder), Spring—also called Lent or Langantide (“Longer Time”)—marks lengthening days and warming temperatures. It celebrates nature’s renewal, with animals birthing, plants blooming, and flocks returning. Connected to Easter, Easter derives from a term meaning “Eastern,” referencing the sun’s rise. The Easter Bunny, first documented in 1682 Germany, is a literary invention, not an ancient symbol. Medieval Europe adapted the Triple Hare into trinity-based concepts, falsely claimed as Celtic. This overlaps with the Flower Festival. It is also near so-called "Beltane," Sadan-Tide celebrates spring’s vitality and fertility, with themes of renewal and romantic unity. Known as Langantide (“Longer Time”), the festival mirrors the sanctity and abundance of life.

 

It's connections with Lent, also called rarely Lom, comes from the source of its original meaning derived from Langantide (“Longer Time”), reflecting extended daylight. Sad (saed) shares its root with sid where we get the words sat and sit as well as seat having the meaning of "placed." Old High German Satein for Old Saxon Sadan was later intentionally associated with the generic word sha-tan from Hebrew roots of hā-šātān because of similarity without the hyphens. In fact, šā (sh-ah in sound) means judge, rule, decree, order, test, assign, settle, or decide, and figuratively 'accuse and challenge.' Hence hā-šātān means "the-accuser, but also the-judge or the-ruler."

 

Of course because of the ignorance of others, which cannot be ignored, whether they actually seek somesort of connection with the "darker" concept of Satan in the imposed sense used to create later 'persona' of a 'Satan' and then take the associations of Spring time and twist it into ideas of lust and sex orgies, it was determined not to argue over this one by promoting the name for of Sadan. To avoid this confusion all together, the word Friar (Frey) meaning Free One was chosen instead, being a combination of fri "free" + an "one," while allowing for some to use a rare and old form Freo.  It should also be noted that Frian did lend to the form of Friand becoming the modern word in English "Friend."

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1. GODAN AS FRIAR (FREE ONE)

   • Three Goddesses: Lita (Lights), Fulla (Fullness), Bryd (Bride)

   • Spring (Southeast): Symbolizes growth and vitality.

   • Lunar Markers: Snow Crust Month, Full Pink Salmon Moon, Egg Moon.

   • Associations: Light, life, mating, and dominance among young animals and people.

 

Practices:

 

• Bonfires: Flames purify fields, bless cattle, and bring good fortune (note: the original meaning of bonfire was bone fire) .

• Maypole Dancing: Ribbons woven around a birch pole symbolize union and reproduction.

• Handfasting: Temporary engagements honor romantic bonds as a trial run of a year and a day before full on marriage.

• Gathering Seeds and Flowers: Planting seeds, picking flowers, celebrating fertility.

• Wight Offerings: Milk and butter are left for Wights to maintain harmony.

 

Symbolism:

 

• Hare/Rabbit: Represents life’s abundance and celestial cycles. Originally linked with Geese, Swans and other Bird flocks. 

• Eggs and Flowers: Gifts of boiled eggs signify health; flower crowns mark beauty and fertility.

• Fertility Symbols: Anything connect to love, weddings, sex, birth, and temporal cycles (past, present, future; cause, course, consequence). The egg-laying hare was a humorous fiction, not a pre-monotheistic belief.

 

Grim-Tide: Summer Festival (July 31–August 2)

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Grim-Tide, near Lammas, honors hunting, harvesting, and ancestors. A blend of preparation for autumn and reverence for heritage, it ties to the west and water as symbols of life and afterlife. Known as Grim (Grime), Summer—spanning July through October—centers on the first full moon between August 2 and 14. It marks preparations for winter through hunting and harvesting, with the wild boar as a key symbol. This overlaps with the Harvest Festival.

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1. GODAN AS GRIM (Grime, akin to Gloom) 

   • Three Goddesses: Bloma (Blooms), Grani (Grains), Runa (Red)

   • Summer (Southwest): Embodies abundance and fulfillment.

   • Lunar Markers: Molt Month, Full Sturgeon Moon, Green Corn Grain Moon.

   • Practices: Wheat threshing, bread making, hunting (specially wild boar and deer) and harvesting.

 

Overview:

 

It is tied with the original Samhain (pronounced Sowan, Sowin, Soween, Sawen, Sowun, Souin), which derives from Samain (“Summer”). Misinterpretations as “Summer’s End” (samr + fuin, “bake”) are incorrect; Samhain or Sunnheim means “Sun’s Home,” referencing the sun’s western setting. Accurate terms for Summer’s End are Samain Crích (Old Irish) or Simmer Críoch (Old Scottish). The boar’s linguistic ties (sow, swine, sowing) underscore its agricultural and cultural significance. Summer was a time of abundance, with hunts and harvests ensuring survival. The Svinfylkar’s martial prowess and the Wild Hunt’s mythology highlight the season’s focus on strength, preparation, and spiritual transitions.

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Practices:

 

• Harvesting: Communal activities include threshing, baking, and gathering herbs.

• Water Rituals: Streams and wells are blessed; floral wreaths float to honor ancestors.

• Ancestor Tributes: Burial mounds are cleaned, and offerings are made.

• Fire Symbols: Flaming wheels rolled downhill mimic the sun’s descent, votive fire boats to bid farewell to the dead.

 

Symbolism:

 

• Wild Boar: Embodies harvest and fertility.

• West and Water: Reflect ancestral bonds and spiritual transitions.​​

• Svinfylkar Warriors: These “Swine Folks,” akin to Berserkers and Úlfhéðnar (“Wolf Heads”), practiced glíma (“glimpse/flash”), a martial art emphasizing swift, fear-inducing strikes and self-reliance. They were associated with the Wild Hunt, a spectral procession guiding souls to the Otherworld, reflecting animal-human transformation myths. Souls of warriors and animals were believed to shapeshift, connecting to journeys beyond life and spiritual guidance.​

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Wulder, Sadan, and Grim reflect ancient seasonal rhythms, blending survival, spirituality, and cultural exchange. Winter’s communal fires and gift-giving, Spring’s lunar hares and fertility, and Summer’s boar hunts and warrior traditions reveal humanity’s deep connection to nature and the cosmos. Linguistic roots—Yule (cheer), Lent (longer time), Samhain (Sun’s Home)—ground these observances in lived experience, while debunking later misinterpretations like the Easter Bunny or “Summer’s End.” These seasons endure as testaments to resilience, community, and the eternal cycle of life. 

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THE THREE GODDESSES AND REMAINING 9 MONTHS OF THE SOLAR YEAR

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WEVA (WEAVER), SPINNA (SPINNER) AND KUTA (CUTTER): All three associated with crafting tools, clothes, and mending such as tents used for temporary shelters, making of nets to capture fish and other animals, as well as measuring the conditions of life for all things. They are various known as the Wayward Sisters, the Wyrd Sisters and the Nornir/Norns to name but a few. The following will be the associated sub-names and will show how they connect with the sub-names of Godan. 

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FOR GODDESS 1: WEVA (THE WEAVER)

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• JANUARY: LITA (LIGHTS). Consort of Sadan. New Year Month, Full Wolf Moon, Feasting and Drinking.

• MAY: BLOMA (BLOOMS). Consort of Grim. Reindeer Calf Month, Full Flower Corn Planting Milk Moon, Hawking, Seeking a Spouse.

• SEPTEMBER: GIFA (GIVER). Consort of Wulder. Harvest Month, Full Corn and Harvest Moon, Grape harvest and wine making.

 

FOR GODDESS 2: SPINNA (THE SPINNER)

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1. FEBRUARY: FULLA (FULLNESS). Consort of Sadan. Bear Month, Snow Moon and Polar Bear Month, Enjoying a warm fire.

2. JUNE: GRANI (GRAINS/GREENS). Consort of Grim. Acorn Month, Full Strawberry and Rose Moon, Hay harvest, and storage.

3. OCTOBER: HELIA (HEALER). Consort of Wulder. Rut Month, Full Blood, Hunter’s and Second Harvest Moon, Plowing and sowing.

 

FOR GODDESS 3: KUTTA (THE CUTTER)​

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1. MARCH: BRYD (BRIDE). Consort of Sadan. Swan/Stork Month, Full Crow and Worm Moon, Pruning trees, and digging ditches.

2. JULY: RUNA (RED). Consort of Grim. Hay Month, The Full Thunder and Buck Moon, Wheat harvest and fence mending.

3. NOVEMBER: SKADI (SHADY). Consort of Wulder. Hunters Month, Full Long Night and Bright, Cold Moon, Gathering acorns and food for pigs.

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​Symbolism of the Three Goddesses

 

The Three Goddesses, metaphorically referred to as Horn Bearers, are associated with:

 

• Opened Spaces: Representing their diverse symbolism and roles.

• Seasonal Alignment: Each Goddess governs four segments of the seasons, creating a four-fold division marked by the 12 months of the year.

• Sub-Divisions: Each of the four segments contains 9 sub-divisions, resulting in a total of 36 points, tying into solar and lunar calendar concepts.

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Common 12 Animal Signs: The Bear/Spider , Wild Boar/Swine, Bovine/Cattle, Snake/Dragon/Worm, Eagle/Hawk, Horse/Donkey, Hare/Rabbit, Deer/Caribou, Raven/Crow/Swan/Owl, Sea Horse/Fish, Wolf/Hound/Fox and Cat/Lion/Cougar.

Other Common Animal Symbols: The Mouse, Rat and  Squirrel tend to have more of an association with Spring and Autumn months, so basically the Equinoxes as they are often represented in various folklore as mediators between the Summer and Winter Solstice often represented as a Summer Eagle of the Sky and Winter Serpent of the Sea depending on the source as part of the seasonal folklore and mythology of various traditions. How one applies this is a personal matter more than anything else.  If one wishes to gain more information of the symbolism with other explained symbols, it can be found HERE. 

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