The four fire festivals, so-called because all include bonfires as part of celebration, take place on last evening of a month and following day. The Celts, like Jews, count a day from sunset to sunset. That's why we celebrate All Hallow's Eve, Midsummer's Eve, and so on.

These four fire festivals are tied to agricultural cycle as follows:

Samhain is celebrated on October 31-November 1 (our Halloween). It is end of harvest, beginning of winter and once marked Celtic new year. At Samhain, barrier between our world and Otherworld thins, allowing contacts between spirits (faeries) and humans. Normal rules of human conduct do not apply and one may "run wild". This was also a festival of dead and church was easily able to transform these holidays into All Saint's Day (November 1) and All Soul's Day (November 2).

Imbolc is celebrated February 1-2 (later transformed into Candlemas by church, and popular now as Groundhog Day). Imbolc marked beginning of Spring, beginning of new life (in Britain beginning of lambing season). Dedicated to ancient mother goddess in her maiden aspect, it was later transformed into a feast day for Irish saint of same name (and attributes), St. Brigid.

The third festival of agricultural year is Beltane (Bealtunn in Scots Gaelic, meaning May Day), celebrated April 30-May 1. The god, Bel (or Cernunnos, horned god of Ireland) dies but is reborn as goddess' son. He then impregnates her ensuring neverending cycle of rebirth. This is very basic fertility worship. May Day traditions includes young people picking flowers in woods (and spending night there), and dance around May Pole, weaving red (for god) and white (for goddess) streamers round and round. A great bonfire celebrates return of sun.

Is it radical to raise your hands in worship to God? Is it radical to pray out loud during congregational praise? Is it too radical to talk about your love for Jesus when others talk about their worries and fears? What does it mean to be a radical Christian? If you asked that question to any number of believers today, probably you would receive any number of comments. Why? It’s because radicalism’s meaning has changed many times over centuries.

For example, in 12th century if you demanded that Bible be written in a common language for common man, you were radical and probably would be burned at stake. In 16th century you were radical if you protested worldly lifestyle of pope. This also could cost you your life. Today many define radical Christianity as “holy rollers”—those who sing too loud, and want to talk about Jesus constantly. If that’s radicalism today, it won’t be tomorrow. One day every believer will sing loudly and shout to Jesus. When we get to heaven, shouts of praise and rejoicing will never cease. Then praises will come from everyone’s lips, even from soft-spoken believer. Trust Bible on this one. I’d like to take you back to a time in history when radicalism was no different than today’s most reserved and traditional Protestant.

The Rising Stars of Reformation were Radical

He was despised so by Council of Constance that it charged him with over 200 crimes and ordered his writings burned. Then they dug up his corpse and burnt it. He had been dead for only 44 years. Now that’s pretty severe punishment for someone whose only crime was translating Bible from Latin into primitive English for common man. But his actions were too radical for Catholic Church during rising Reformation. And although his body was destroyed, John Wycliffe’s (c.329-1384) legacy continued. There were other radicals like Wycliffe. They started appearing in history when Church became weak, immoral, corrupt and scholasticism became focus of Catholic Church. Scholasticism was an attempt to combine Greek philosophy with Christianity, but it backfired. Instead of training best minds of day to think, critique classics, and support Catholic Church, it educated a number of scholars that could now dispute Catholic doctrines, and do it intelligently.

The Challengers