In contrast to the Norse/Germanic Pagan calendar, the Wicca Calendar, or Wheel of the Year, is a modern construct from the last century inspired by ancient Celtic and Norse traditions. The historical Norse & Germanic Pagan understanding of the year is reconstructed from various sources and primarily lunar-based, with festivals like Yule, Vetrnætr, and Sigrblót tied to natural cycles and seasonal sacrifices. While both calendars celebrate nature and the changing seasons, the Wicca Calendar offers a fixed modern framework, whereas the Norse calendar reflected a more fluid, lunar approach rooted in historical practices.

However, there are more similarities than differences in the 2 calendars. The similarities ranging from dates and parallels and the differences mainly to do with the solar cycles and more Celtic influence in the wicca calendar. This article covers the history and comparison between both calendars.

The Wicca Wheel of the Year

Our Reconstructed Norse/Germanic Pagan calendar for sale here.

 

Wiccan Calendar

-History & When It Was Established
The Wiccan calendar, commonly known as the Wheel of the Year, was originally established in the mid 20th century. It was popularized by Gerald Gardner, often considered the founder of Wicca, in the 1950s. It is an modern creation designed to create a unified framework for Wiccan seasonal celebrations, blending elements of various ancient pagan traditions. The calendar is divided into eight festivals, called sabbats, which mark both the solstices and equinoxes and the midpoints between them. 

-Inspiration from Norse and Celtic Pagan Sources & Tradition
The Wheel of the Year draws inspiration from Norse, Celtic, and other pagan traditions, borrowing elements to create a cohesive calendar. One of these is  Samhain, celebrated on October 31, is inspired by the ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It shares similarities with the Norse Vetrnætr ("Winter Nights"). Another is of course Yule, celebrated at the Winter Solstice, incorporates elements from Norse Jól, which centered around midwinter feasting, sacrifices. Another celtic one is Imbolc or Beltane which  have some connections to norse parallels at a similar time of year. But in general, the Wicca calendar draws much more from Celtic tradition. However, while the Wheel of the Year is inspired by historical festivals, it does not directly replicate the original Norse or Celtic pagan calendars. Instead, it serves as a modern interpretation, reflecting a diverse mix of ancient practices with new Wiccan spirituality.

 

Wicca/Pagan Holy Days Calendar

The Wicca Calendar, known as the Wheel of the Year, consists of eight holidays or sabbats. These festivals divide the year into eight equal parts based on the solar cycles and phases and are inspired by a mix of ancient pagan traditions. Two of these, Yule and Ostara, specifically are influenced by Norse traditions, while the remaining six are mainly Celtic and may have varying degrees of Norse or Germanic parallels. Let’s take a look at them!

1. Yule (Winter Solstice)
Yule, celebrated at the Winter Solstice around December 21, draws heavily from Norse Jól. In Norse tradition, Yule was a midwinter festival marked by feasting, sacrifices, and rituals honoring gods like Odin and Freyr. The Wiccan Yule retains these themes of celebrating light returning during the darkest time of year, symbolizing rebirth and hope. However, this is incorrectly placed on the solstice which was not when it was celebrated in original pagan times as we will cover later in the article.

2. Ostara (Spring Equinox)
Ostara, celebrated at the Spring Equinox around March 20, takes its name from Ēostre, a Germanic goddess of fertility and renewal. While Ēostre is sparsely documented, (we have more records of this from pagan Anglo-Saxon England by the way) the idea of celebrating fertility, planting, and renewal aligns with Germanic springtime rituals. 

3. Imbolc (February 1)
Imbolc, originally a Celtic festival, honors Brigid, the goddess of fertility, poetry, and healing. While there is no very clear Norse equivalent, late winter and early spring were significant times for fertility rites in Norse culture. One could potentially compare Diasblot or the major sacrifice at Uppsala attested by Adam of Bremmen in the 11th century. 

4. Beltane (May 1)
Beltane, a Celtic May Day festival, celebrates fertility, fire, and the blossoming of life. Norse Sigrblót, held in late April or early May, shares thematic similarities. Also the mainland European Walpurgisnacht celebrations in the German speaking countries seem to be a close link to this holiday. Both festivals marked the transition to summer and involved rituals to ensure fertility and abundance, as well as communal celebrations.

5. Litha (Summer Solstice)
Litha, the Summer Solstice festival celebrated around June 21, marks the peak of the sun’s power. While not explicitly mentioned in Norse sources, Scandinavian midsummer traditions, including bonfires and feasting, parallel Litha’s themes of light, warmth, and abundance. The Norse Sumarsólhvarf likely included celebrations honoring the power of the sun, although we do not have records of this tradition until long after the viking age being called Midsommar as still celebrated in Scandinavia today.

6. Lughnasadh (August 1)
Lughnasadh, or Lammas, is a Celtic harvest festival honoring the god Lugh. In Norse culture, late summer was a critical time for harvesting grains too, and while there is no specific Germanic equivalent, the concept of harvest rituals is common in Germanic traditions. The Anglo-Saxon hlaf-mas (loaf-mass) or the Norwegian Oslok shares parallels with Lughnasadh.

7. Mabon (Fall Equinox)
Mabon, celebrated at the Fall Equinox around September 21, focuses on gratitude and balance as the harvest season concludes. While the term “Mabon” is modern, Norse traditions around the fall equinox often involved agricultural feasts and offerings to gods for a successful harvest. There is some evidence that Háustblót would have taken place around this time in viking age Scandinavia.

8. Samhain (October 31)
Samhain, a Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest and the start of winter, is deeply rooted in ancestor veneration and the thinning of the veil between worlds. Norse Vetrnætr shares many of these themes, including honoring ancestors, feasting, and preparing for the dark winter months.

While the Wicca calendar has 8 holidays, our reconstructed Norse calendar has 13 holidays marked. See our article with the full explanation here.

Norse Pagan Calendar 2025 Explained

 

Norse/Germanic Calendar

-History of the Norse Calendar
While the Norse did not leave behind a universally standardized calendar that we have found in the writen sources or archeology, evidence shows that they observed time in ways deeply tied to the cycles of nature and specifically the moon. What little we know of their calendrical system comes from a combination of ancient texts, archaeological finds, and surviving folk traditions.

Evidence of a Lunar-Solar Calendar

The Primstav: Viking Age Calendar Stick
One of the most tangible remnants of Norse timekeeping is the primstav, a Norwegian calendar stick that has been found often in the archeology dating back to the 12th century at the earliest. After official pagan times of course but with clear traces of pagan origin including moon and solar cycles marked.

Other than the primstav, there is no evidence that the germanic people celebrated any solar phases. However, there are many examples pointing to the following of a lunar calendar. In addition to our very languages using the same word for month and moon(Old Norse máni, Old English: mōna, mōne, Old Saxon: māno, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish måne). In the 8th century, the English monk Bede documented the Anglo-Saxon calendar in De Temporum Ratione. He described months with names tied to seasonal activities and festivals, such as Geola (Yule) for December and January. His account provides valuable insight into how Germanic peoples divided and named their year.

“When an embolismic year occurred (that is, one of 13 lunar months) they assigned the extra month to summer, so that three months together bore the name ‘‘Litha’’; hence they called [the embolismic] year ‘‘Thrilithi’’. It had four summer months, with the usual three for the other seasons. But originally, they divided the year as a whole into two seasons, summer and winter, assigning the six months in which the days are longer than the nights to summer, and the other six to winter.”

"The month is called in Latin December, and in our language geōla for two months enjoy the same name; the first one Se Ǣrra Geola [The Preceding Yule] and the other Se Æftera [The Following]."
-Bede, De temporum ratione, 725ce

Roman historian Tacitus, writing in the 1st century CE, noted that the Germanic peoples followed a lunar-solar calendar. He described how their timekeeping was based on the cycles of the moon and this is also when they held their assemblies and events.

"Affairs of smaller moment the chiefs determine: about matters of higher consequence the whole nation deliberates; yet in such sort, that whatever depends upon the pleasure and decision of the people, is examined and discussed by the chiefs. Where no accident or emergency intervenes, they assemble upon stated days, either, when the moon changes, or is full: since they believe such seasons to be the most fortunate for beginning all transactions. Neither in reckoning of time do they count, like us, the number of days but that of nights."

-Tacitus, Germania 1st century

Major Sacrifices and Festivals

Other than the clear examples of following a lunar calendar. We can only be sure that the Norse pagans celebrated 3 main holidays in the viking age. These 3 holidays are constantly reffered back to in many sources and are the only ones we can definitively date and confirm they were practiced universally.

Midwinter/Yule (Jól) – A sacrifice for prosperity and good harvests, typically held in January.
Spring/Sigrblót – A sacrifice to Odin for victory and a successful summer.
Autumn/Vetrnætr – A sacrifice marking the start of winter, often involving ancestor veneration.

"Odin established the same law in his land that had been in force in Asaland. {....}. On winter day there should be blood-sacrifice for a good year, and in the middle of winter for a good crop; and the third sacrifice should be on summer day, for victory in battle."

-Ynglinga saga, ch. 15

There are a couple other holidays such as Disablot or Ostara that we can theorize when and how they were practiced in the Germanic pagan areas of Europe, but essentially we can only be certain of 3. Other than that most of our sources on the holidays come from later on after the establishment of Christianity in Scandinavia.

Later Scandinavian Traditions with Pagan Roots
Even after the Christianization of Scandinavia, many Norse pagan practices continued in folk traditions. Seasonal celebrations, agricultural rituals, and symbolic markers of time were adapted but retained their pagan essence. For example:

Winter solstice celebrations, with their focus on light and rebirth, were transformed into Christian holidays but kept many original elements, like feasting and gift-giving.
Spring planting rituals and midsummer festivals continued to honor fertility and abundance, reflecting their ancient pagan origins.
The Norse/Germanic calendar may not be as well-documented as the Wiccan Wheel of the Year, but its foundations are visible in both ancient sources and later traditions. These surviving elements remind us of the deep connections the Norse had with the natural world and the cycles that governed their lives.

 

See our full Norse calendar for sale here

   

Similarities: Wicca vs. Norse/Germanic Pagan Calendar

While the Wicca Wheel of the Year and the Norse/Germanic calendar differ in structure and origin, they share notable similarities rooted in seasonal cycles and ancient traditions. These parallels highlight the deep connection both systems have to nature and the rhythms of the year.

Yule: A Shared Celebration
Yule is one of the most significant shared holidays between the two calendars. While the Wicca calendar places Yule on the Winter Solstice, the original Norse/Germanic Yule (Jól) was observed later, typically at the full moon in mid-January. For more details, see our blog post:

"When Is Yule?" All sources Explained.

Despite the differing dates, both calendars celebrate Yule as a time of rebirth, honoring the return of light during the darkest time of the year. Themes of feasting, gift-giving, and community gatherings are central to both traditions, reflecting their shared Germanic roots.

Solstices Celebrated
Both calendars recognize the importance of the solstices. For Wicca, the solstices—Litha (Summer Solstice) and Yule (Winter Solstice)—are two of the eight sabbats. Although we don't know much about this from viking age sources, the Norse also marked the solstices, as evidenced by Greek historian Procopius in the 6th century, who recorded that the people of Thule(likely Northern Norway) celebrated the Winter Solstice. The Norse Sumarsólhvarf (Summer Solstice) and Vetrarsólhvarf (Winter Solstice) were likely times of gathering, feasting, and rituals tied to the sun’s cycles.

Equinox Celebrations
Like the wicca calendar, our Norse calendars also include festivals tied to the equinoxes:

The Wicca calendar marks the Spring Equinox as Ostara, named after the Germanic goddess Eostre. This celebration aligns with fertility themes and the renewal of life, similar to Norse springtime rituals. We know that the Germanic pagans celebrated this equinox  and the goddess associated with it from old German and Anglo-Saxon sources.

"Eosturmonath has a name which is now translated "Paschal month", and which was once called after a goddess of theirs named Eostre, in whose honour feasts were celebrated in that month. Now they designate that Paschal season by her name, calling the joys of the new rite by the time-honoured name of the old observance."

-Bede, De temporum ratione 725ce

Samhain and Vetrnætr: A Parallel Festival
Perhaps the most similar holiday that the Wicca and Norse calendar share are these two. Samhain, celebrated on October 31 in the Wicca calendar, is remarkably similar in date and theme to the Norse Vetrnætr ("Winter Nights"). Both festivals mark the end of the harvest season and the start of winter. They involve ancestor veneration, feasting, and rituals acknowledging the thinning of the veil between worlds. These parallels underscore shared Indo-European traditions of honoring the changing seasons and the spirits of the dead.

 

Differences: Pagan Sabbat Calendar vs. Norse/Germanic Pagan Holidays

While the Wicca Sabbat Calendar and the Norse/Germanic pagan holidays share similarities, they also have distinct differences. These differences involve mainly their cultural origins, timekeeping systems, and the traditions that shaped their observance.

1. New Year’s Start Date
Wicca New Year: The Wiccan Wheel of the Year places its new year at their Yule(on the winter solstice) The Germanic pagan calendar starts its new year with the beginning of winter, traditionally marked by Vetrnætr ("Winter Nights") in October. This festival coincided with the final harvest and the transition into the darker half of the year.
2. Solar vs. Lunar Focus
Wicca: The Wicca calendar is predominantly solar-based, focusing on the solstices, equinoxes, and the midpoints between them. This system creates eight fixed holidays that divide the year relatively evenly. The Germanic calendar, as described by Tacitus and other sources, was primarily lunar-based, with months beginning at the new or full moon. Major festivals like Jól and Vetrnætr were tied to lunar cycles, making the exact dates shift slightly each year.
3. Origins of Other Holidays
Many Wicca Sabbats—such as Imbolc, Beltane, Litha, Lughnasadh, Mabon, and Samhain—have Celtic origins. However, several of these festivals have parallels in Norse/Germanic traditions:
Imbolc vs. Dísablót: Imbolc, honoring fertility and preparation for spring, parallels the Norse Dísablót, a festival celebrating female spirits and fertility.
Beltane vs. Sigrblót: Both festivals mark the transition into summer, with rituals for fertility, growth, and blessings.
Litha vs. Midsommar: Both celebrate the height of summer with bonfires, dancing, and communal gatherings.
Lughnasadh vs. Óslok: Lughnasadh celebrates the early harvest, while the later on folk traditions of Scandinavia had Óslok festivals tied to similar themes of harvest gratitude.
Mabon vs. Haustblót: Both are fall festivals of thanksgiving, marking the harvest’s conclusion and honoring the gods for their bounty.
Samhain vs. Vetrnætr: Both festivals share themes of ancestor veneration, the end of the harvest, and the transition into winter.

 

Conclusion

The Wicca Sabbat Calendar and the Norse/Germanic pagan holidays share thematic similarities, but they differ significantly in their structure and cultural roots. Wicca’s solar-based system creates a fixed calendar of eight holidays, while the Norse/Germanic calendar was more fluid, tied to lunar cycles and agricultural seasons. Additionally, while many Wiccan festivals are of Celtic origin, their parallels in Norse traditions highlight shared Indo-European themes of honoring nature, fertility, and the cycles of life. These differences underscore the diversity and richness of pagan practices across cultures.