Satanic Holidays

[The Wily Fox]

Satanic Holidays are special days that Satanists set aside to celebrate. While there aren’t any rules about holidays there are some guidelines to consider.

Satanists celebrate a variety of holidays, but as a Satanist, it is up to you whether you choose to participate in a holiday or not. There are no rules, only general guidelines are available for you to learn from.

The word holiday, of course, comes from the original word, “holy day”, a day of remembrance and celebration set aside for friends and family. It is traditions like these that enable Satanists to enjoy what they do year round.

Satanic Holidays were adapted like many other holidays, from the pagan calendar year, and sourced mainly from the Satanic Bible which also used the typical pagan holiday system of recognizing the changes of season.

A traditional reference for Satanic Holidays can be found in the Satanic Bible, where LaVey describes seven different Satanic Holidays or celebrations throughout the year, three of them being major Holidays or events for Satanists.

These three major holidays for Satanists are the birthday, Walpurgisnacht and Halloween. The birthday is considered to be the most important day of the year. The Satanist celebrates the birthday as a way of glorifying the self. Satanists also celebrate Walpurgis, on April 30th as the night that LaVey created the Church of Satan. Halloween or Samhain is also celebrated as the night where the veil of the astral is at its most thin.

While the Satanic Bible focuses on the three main holidays, there are also other holidays for Satanists to celebrate and observe throughout the year. The Solstices and equinoxes are celebrated within Satanism by those that wish to include natural elements into their practices. If one wishes, they could include a demonic element to each solstice and equinox as well.

The Holiday Calendar for Satanists is very similar to the pagan model, listing seven different holidays in total, while the traditional Wiccan calendar year has eight. An example of the typical pagan calendar year can be found in the Witches Bible, written by LaVey, which describes the solstices, procession of equinoxes and other holidays, which are connected with the celebration of their gods and goddesses. Of course, remember that all of this is dependent on what hemisphere of the earth that you live in.

It is also important to note and keep sacred the day that one enters into Satanism. This entrance into Satanism is done through pact-making with Satan or some other ritual (like a black mass) to commemorate one’s commitment to the path of Satanism and the path of the self.

[The Wily Fox]

For the aspiring Satanist there are a number of holidays one may wish to celebrate. Here I will list some of them and greatly appreciate any feedback and thoughts on this:

1. The Birthday: arguably the most important holiday in Satanism. It is because the day of your birth is special; it has allowed you to enjoy all that life has to offer and a new year on this earth gives you another opportunity to become a better person. Satanism is often seen as the path of the Self so it makes sense that one’s birthday should be a sacred moment in time.

2. Spring Equinox, 21st March: Life is awakening in spring and so during spring the moment is celebrated by recognizing a renewing of the self and the world around you. Perhaps Lucifer would be a good choice to associate with this holiday, as Lucifer (portrayed as the morning star, Venus) is seen in the east where the sun rises, and the day begins.

3. Walpurgisnacht, 30th April: This holiday is associated with the creation of the Church of Satan. Founded in the late 60’s by Anton LaVey, it signified the first time a Satanic association had been publicly recognized.

4. Summer Solstice, 22nd June: When the sun is at its height and the day is longest, we have the summer solstice. We are reminded that events of the year are at their height. An association for this holiday would likely be North, and Belial, represented by the Sun, which fuels the material world around us each day.

5. Autumn Equinox, 21st September: The time of autumn is not only a time for harvest but for preparation for the winter. It is a good time to recognize the moon, West, and Lilith for its benefits for us here on earth each year. This symbolism can be understood through the cycle of the moon, and the cycle of the seasons.

6. Samhain, 31st October: Pronounced as Sow-Han, this holiday is known to many others as Halloween or all hallow’s eve. It is the moment when the ‘veil’ is lifted between the physical and the spiritual world. It is often celebrated by Satanists as one of the most fun times of year!

7. Winter Solstice, 22nd: During this time the earth enters a slumber and winter sets in, reminding us of the cycle of life and death that we experience all around us every day. In this we are reminded of Satan and its planetary counterpart, Saturn, and south to the earth below us, reflecting on the necessity of endings for a new beginning to occur.

8. Your Initiation: The day that you initiate into Satanism you are making a commitment to yourself. Perhaps you chose to make a pact or you commemorated it with a ritual. The timing of this act is personal and should be held sacred to you as a Satanist as a reminder of where you have been and where you may be headed.