Mabon, also known as the Fall Equinox, is the second harvest festival in my mind, and the beginning of Autumn. It is the final reminder that we need to finish up projects and harvesting, and prepare for the onslaught of the upcoming winter. Like Ostara, it is another season of equilibrium, when the day and nights are supposedly of equal length.
During this time of year, we will finish packing away food and start dragging dead trees up from the woods in the back of our home for splitting. The coolness of the season will allow us to work outside for many hours without the intense heat of summer.
This is my second favorite season because of the depth of color from the changing leaves and the harvested wheat and pumpkins. Many fall festivals will be held where people will sell off their canned/baked goods and quilts. Many livestock over the next few months will be slaughtered and sold so that farmers can conserve feed over the winter. The slaughtered meat is also stored away in smokehouses and attics to prepare in meals once the snow comes. Some farmers would also gather for the last big feast of the year before they are driven into their homes by the cold.
Even the Miwok tribes would use this time of year to celebrate the Acorn Festival, which allowed them to come together and exchange news and supplies before returning to their homes to remain isolated throughout the winter months.
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