Sabbats are the days Witches and Pagans celebrate in honor of the Gods. These are holidays of a sort, but are different in that they are holidays marking the transitions of nature, rather than to remember a specific day in history. Sabbats are simply a part of how the Earth works; they are a part of nature. Witches and Pagans celebrate the Sabbats because they are in tune with nature, and such special days require special attention. Typically, no magickal work is done during a Sabbat, unless it's a dire emergency, because these are days to honor the Gods. There are 8 Sabbats in the course of a year, and each marks an important transition.

The four Lesser Sabbats mark the transitional phases of the sun. They occur at the Summer and Winter Soltice, and the Spring and Autumn Equinox. The celebrations that occur on these days are mostly in honor of the God as they mark the solar phases. These are often called the Quarter Festivals and they fall at a time where the sun is in transition from one astrological sign to another.

The four Greater Sabbats mark the transition of the seasons, thus they are seen to be of more importance. Because these days are more seasonal, general celebrations are held in honor of both God and Goddess. These are often called the Cross-Quarter Festivals as they bisect the Quarter Festivals in half, and are where the sun is in the middle of an astrological sign.

Together, the Sabbats form what is called the Wheel of the Year. It is a wheel, because it repeats itself over and over again, just like a wheel continually turns and turns. The Wheel of the Year begins in October (at Samhain). This is considered the Witches' New Year.

Beneath each description of the Sabbat, I have included a link to the essay on that particular sabbat written by Mike Nichols. Mike Nichols is a very respected man in the Pagan community, and his research on Pagan Sabbats is very extensive. This man knows a lot! A link to his entire website, which is full of amazing essays on Paganism and Witchcraft, can be found on my Links page.