Sabbat

Sabbat

Eight times a year, on the solstices, equinoxes, and Cross-Quarter Days

The eight Sabbats are the major holidays celebrated by members of the various Neopagan religions that have flourished in the United States since the mid-1960s. Although normally observed on the Vernal Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumnal Equinox, Winter Solstice, and Cross-Quarter Days (February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1), the Sabbats may sometimes be displaced from their traditional dates in order to fall closer to that of a specific Neopagan festival.
Since 1970, the outdoor celebration of Sabbats in the United States has increased in popularity on both the local and national levels. Although local gatherings may attract a few hundred people, there is now an annual cycle of festivals—approximately one for each Sabbat in each major region of the United States—that is regularly attended by thousands of Neopagan adherents. The Sabbat ritual typically combines drama, poetry, music, costume, and dance.

SOURCES:
RelHolCal-2004, p. 268