Mabon

(pic. 16[5])

Mabon(pic. 16) is the second autumn Sabbath, one of the four main holidays of the Wheel of the Year. The autumnal equinox comes on September 22-23.[1] The Celts celebrated the feast of the Second Harvest on this day. The second, because the main crop of bread has already been harvested from the fields, but there are still nuts, berries and mushrooms in the forests. There are still late root vegetables and fruits. Autumn is a fertile and well-fed time, and therefore Mabon was celebrated richly and delicious, by the whole family or community.[2] The food on Mabon is the fruits of the second harvest: various autumn vegetables, especially corn, fruits, such as apples, beans, zucchini and pumpkin, you can see it on picture 17. Corn bread is baked at home and bean dishes are prepared.[3] The name "Mabon" goes back to Celtic mythology — it is the name of the Sun God, the son of the Welsh goddess Modron.[2]

(pic. 17 the Mabon food[4])

Rituals on Mabon were in some sense phallic in color. For example, the rituals of women's health were like this. These days, women went to pick carrots. Taking them out of the ground, they pressed them to the bottom of their stomach and asked for fertility and health for themselves. At home, these carrots were washed and tied in bundles using red threads in three turns.

In the days of Mabon, men's games and competitions were organized. For a common table, the best sheep was selected from the sheep herd, roasted on coals in a common pit. Meat was distributed, and men competed in games for the horned head of a ram, went into the woods, arranged long-distance races.[3]

These days this type of festivals is not very common. Yet, people are still having autumn feasts with their families.

Resources:
1. https://grimuar.ru/ritualy/vikka/prazdnik-keltov-mabon.html

2. https://pearative.ru/stati/mabon/

3. https://happywitch.ru/blog/mabon-den-osennego-ravnodenstviya/

4. https://img.fonwall.ru/o/jc/mabon-osennego-ravnodenstviya-druidizm-fonar-lampa.jpg?route=mid&h=750

5. https://i.pinimg.com/736x/10/66/43/10664300ca617c35d4dbc330e75fd7cc.jpg