The Wiccan celebration of Mabon commemorates the autumnal equinox as summer becomes fall, the days get shorter and the nights longer.

An equinox, as any scientist knows, is an astronomical point in the year where the earth is at a certain tilt on its axis. Signaling the change of season, the length of daylight will begin to wax or wane, depending on what time of the year it is. Equinoxes occur twice a year; once during the spring time, and once during the autumn. With each one comes a wide variety of traditions.

Wiccans celebrate the autumnal equinox with a tradition known as Mabon. There are many other names for it, including Harvest Home, Fall Equinox, and even Gwyl Canol Hydref, but they all refer to the same holiday.

For Wiccans, this is a special time; day and night are in perfect balance, and it is a time to consider the harvest. This applies to both the physical harvest of your job, whatever it may be, and also the spiritual harvest of the year. Wiccans will give thanks for the goodness that they have reaped and lay down any negativity that they have been storing up. Mabon is a time for finishing projects, and looking ahead to new challenges. This has been a way of life for thousands of years, even before Christianity reached much of the world. The time is often celebrated with charitable donations, self-reflections, and timeless stories.

One of the most popular symbols used within Mabon celebrations is the apple; symbolic of growth and plenty, but also of wisdom, apples are used as a main staple within the celebration. Wiccans will often gather together to create a feast, commemorating the goodness of the Earth, and its ability to nurture us through the cold months.

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