• 2023 Coalition of Visionary Resources Gold Award• Shares original stories, based on traditional folktales and designed to be read out loud, for each festival, such as Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Beltaine, Lughnasad, the solstices, and the equinoxes • Includes traditional games, hands-on projects special to each holiday, and seasonal recipes to enjoy the tastes and smells of each feast day • Discusses the sacred symbolism, magical lore, and cultural practices within each story and the healing and magical uses for the trees and flowers featured Once upon a time, when only candles lit the inside of homes and people traveled on foot or by horse, the family would finish their supper, wash and dry the dishes, and sit down before the hearth to hear a tale. These tales were not only entertaining but also passed down both history and tradition to the next generation. And as the wheel of the year turned, these tales also served to teach the children about holy days and festivals and the Gods and Goddesses who reigned over the changing seasons.In this beautifully illustrated book, Ellen Evert Hopman shares rich stories drawn from traditional folktales, hands-on crafts, and seasonal recipes to help families and classrooms learn about and celebrate traditional holy days and festivals of the sacred earth year. Designed to be read out loud, the stories are complemented with pronunciation guides and translations for foreign words. You will learn of the Cailleach, the ancient Goddess of Winter; La Befana, the Italian new year's witch; Eostre, the Goddess of Spring; Kupalnocka, the Polish feast of wreaths at midsummer; Yule among the Vikings; and many other deities and celebrations.For each story, the author includes hands-on projects special to the holiday--from crafting magical wands and brooms to flower crowns and Brighid's Crosses--as well as seasonal recipes, such as Magical Peppermint Chocolate Tea, Beltaine Bannock, and La Befana Cake, allowing families to enjoy the tastes, smells, and sounds associated with the feast days and celebrations.

Foreword: Stories That Bring the Sun Upby Jane YolenIntroduction: The Circle Will Go 'Round 1 A Tale of the Cailleach, the Great Goddess of WinterAn Irish Tale for Samhain (October 31?November 1) 2 Old Nisse and the Return of Sunna, the Sun Goddess A Norse Tale for Yule and the Winter Solstice (December 20/21/22/23) 3 La Befana, the Christmas Witch An Italian Tale for the New Year (January 1) 4 Waiting for Brighid An Irish Tale for Imbolg (February 1?2) 5 Eostre, the Goddess of Spring, Hares, and EggsAn Anglo-Saxon/Germanic Tale for the Spring Equinox (March 19/20/21) 6 A Magical Beltaine JourneyAn Irish Tale for May Day (May 1)7 Kupalnocka and the Magical Fern FlowerA Polish Tale for the Summer Solstice (June 20/21/22) 8 Lugh of the Long Arm and the Blessing of the Early HarvestAn Irish Tale for Lúnasa (August 1) 9 The Spirit of the Grain and the Spirits of the Sea A Scottish Tale for the Fall Equinox (September 21/22/23/24) Index of RecipesIndex of Activities