The Witches Thanksgiving

 Thanksgiving has come and gone, and the year of 2024 is coming to a close. For friends and family across the United States, everyones celebration looks different. Some people have large dinners with extended family members and others have more personal celebrations with their close family at home. Others may not participate in the holiday at all. Regardless, a holiday or season that is geared towards appreciation of what we have and the blessings in our lives is important for all of us. When writing my blog, this made me question how, if at all, do witches celebrate Thanksgiving. From my research, I found that witches actually have their own special holiday to appreciate all of their gifts and blessings of the year. A tradition sometimes called "The Witches Thanksgiving". 

The holiday does not take place in November like the Thanksgiving holiday that we all know of. Instead, it takes place on September 23rd, the fall equinox, when the time of day and time of night is equal. It is also officially the start of the season of the Libra, one of the 12 zodiac signs. For witches, this is a powerful time of manifestation and spiritual connection because witches believe the gateway between the spiritual and physical world can be unlocked. During this equinox, a "Witches Thanksgiving" takes place by the witches eating fruits and seasonal harvests of the earth. 

The holiday is called "Maban" by Pagans. During this time, the witches give thanks for the seasonal harvest and prepare themselves spiritually for the end of the year. Wiccans celebrate the goddess of nature and her transition from middle life as a mother to the end of her life or a "Crone". Some provide offerings to other Pagan gods as well. Mabon signifies the start of fall and an appreciation for the fruits and harvest of hard work from the previous seasons. 

Modern witches say that anyone can celebrate this holiday, and actually give us tips on how to celebrate if we are curious but might not know where to start! One suggests a bonfire party with friends while discussing your accomplisments throughout the year and sharing a drink of water around the circle. If you can't have a celebration, it is suggested to take a time of reflection and or taking a moment out of a busy schedule to honor the goddess of nature. It might be helpful to meditate or write down some things you are thankful for as well. 

While is is surely different in its historical background compared to our traditional Thanksgiving, it is interesting to see some of the similarities of the practices between the two holidays, and the importance that we as human beings place on being appreciative of all the things we already have. 

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