Einauga kindred gathers many times throughout the year, usually during one of the holy tides (or times). The year is divided into eight of these special times, each usually lasting for a period of three days. Some of these days are more holy than others and so we designate them in the following manner.

Holiest Days - Those days with the deepest religious significance which must be observed

Holy Days – Those days with a religious significance and which should be observed

Lesser Holy Days – Those days with little religious significance but of social importance

The year ends on sundown of December 20th and begins anew on sundown January 1st. The twelve nights in-between are commonly known as the “Holy Nights”. In our kindred, like many others, the night of the 20th is known as the Mother’s Night. This night is set aside to honor our female ancestors, the Idises. Geól proper is usually held on the longest night of the year, the winter solstice (check your calendar for the specific evening). The rest of the nights are a time of general merriment and festivity, a time to spend in fellowship with family and friends. Geól is the holiest of the tides.

Ewemeoluc, or Ewe's Milking, usually falls on the first week of February. This middle winter festival  was held in preparation for the coming sowing season. Farmstead boundaries were hallowed as were the farming implements. Purification of self and home is best done at this time. Ewemeoluc is usually considered a holy tide.

Eostre is named for the goddess of the Dawn, and this festival celebrates the reemergence of the spring when things begin to grow anew and light and warmth return to the world. This Holy tide usually falls around the time of the Vernal Equinox, but a long winter can delay it considerably. The best indicator is the appearance of springtime vegetation. This is the time for renewal, to begin new undertakings, to sow the seeds of future success. Eostre is considered one of the holiest of tides.

May Day. No, it isn’t a cry for help…it’s a cry of celebration! This is the time of year when most of the crops had been planted, and the hard work involved was rewarded. The night before, May Eve (now called Walpurgishnacht on the continent) is usually considered the most magical of year. On this night it is traditional for men to decorate the windowsills of their beloved, much like a Heathen Valentine’s day. It is also a wonderful time of year to successfully conceive a child. It is a time of love and joy for all. It has become tradition for our kindred to watch “The Wicker Man” on this day for obvious reasons! May Day is usually considered a holy tide.

In the middle of the summer we celebrate the holy tide of Liþa. The word Liþa means to “relent”, and this relates to the slowing down of the sun in the sky. The days are longest during this holy tide; the wolf lets up on Sunne a little. This tide usually last for three days or so, and has many of the same festivals as May Day (but not those of May Eve).  This was also the time when young men would prepare for war, leaving the fields to be cared for by their elders and women. Often they would call upon the gods and ghosts to watch over the warriors and ensure them riches and fame. Liþa is usually considered a lesser holy tide.

Hlæfmæst is the great harvest festival of our people, and it usually falls around the time of the Autumn Equinox. The majority of the corn would have been cut and threshed, and the first fresh loaves of the year would have been baked, which is where the word Hlæfmæst comes from: The Loaf Feast.  Honey would also be gathered at this time, and fresh mead was also brewed. As great as it all sounds Hlæfmæst is usually considered to be a holy tide (and awful lot of fun!).

Hærfest is in many ways identical to Hlæfmæst, but instead of wheat the hardier grains (oats, ryes, barleys) would be mowed and threshed. This is also the time of year when fresh ale would be brewed and greedily consumed by the tired farmers. Are you getting an image of what this must have been like?

When the wind gets colder, the nights a little longer, and the air is filled with the smell of hearth fires burning it is usually a safe bet that the Winter Nights are approaching. This was the time of year when the last of the grains (the ryes and barleys) would be mowed and threshed, and the time of year when those animals least likely to survive the coming winter would be slaughtered and salted. This is the beginning of the dark time of the year, when the Wild Hunt runs through the night sky in search of hapless victims to join them in their frenzied procession. During the Winter Nights we remember those who have gone before us, and contemplate on those who have yet to come into being. We give thanks to the gods for their help during the harvests and ask that their protection continue well into the new year. The Winter Nights usually take place in mid October, but can be delayed considerably by the weather. The Winter Nights are considered one of the holiest of tides.

In addition to the eight tides of the year there are a number of minor holy days that can be celebrated at the discretion of the follower. Some of these are traditional to Heathen religion, some are modern in origin, and some are observed exclusively by Einauga Kindred.

~November 9^th - Einauga Day. Einauga Kindred was formed this day in 1999, and this is the day when all kindred decisions should be resolved and any positions that need to be filled, filled. A symbel in honor of the year’s accomplishments is held.