gothwalk: (Default)
([personal profile] gothwalk Oct. 31st, 2002 01:33 pm)
Those of you in Dublin will have seen ribbons dangling outside our front door for the last couple of weeks - orange and black, and today a white one as well. These are something I've adapted from a fantasy culture in my campaign world to our own paganism, and I'm looking at working out a kind of calendar so that there are always ribbons outside the door, appropriate to the season and the approaching festival.

So Samhain obviously gets orange and black, with white added on the day itself. Yule gets red, green, and gold (although I already have the ribbons for that; they'll go up on the 2nd of November, and they're actually red and green, each with gold stars all along). What I'm looking for now are suggestions for colours for the other celebrations - Imbolc, Ostara, Bealtaine, Midsummer, Lughnasadh, and Mabon. I need a pair of colours for each. I'm thinking of orange and brown for Mabon, and possibly a light blue and a white for Midsummer, but I have no idea about the rest.

I'd also like suggestions for specific other days - while I don't normally do much except sleep to observe Paddy's day, I'll add a green ribbon on the 17th of March.

And of course, if you like this, feel free to do it too - I'd be delighted to see it become a tradition.

From: [identity profile] branwynelf.livejournal.com


I LOVE this idea! Thank you for sharing it with us. I'll start it for Yule.
ext_34769: (Default)

From: [identity profile] gothwalk.livejournal.com


Glad you like. I have this notion of green and red ribbons going up all over the world on the 2nd of November. That'd be so cool. :)

From: [identity profile] galdrin.livejournal.com


I love this idea.

So these ribbons go up on Nov. 2nd and stay up, basically 'til Yule on the 21st?

You start out with one ribbon of each colour and add ribbons each day until the 21st?

What day did you start hanging ribbons for Samhain?

On what days do you start hanging ribbons for the other holidays (not counting the single dy ones like St. Patricks, etc.?
ext_34769: (Default)

From: [identity profile] gothwalk.livejournal.com


Bear in mind that I'm still working out the details of this.. :)

So these ribbons go up on Nov. 2nd and stay up, basically 'til Yule on the 21st?

Yup. And then, theoretically, they come down and I put up the Imbolc ribbons on the 22nd. Although that's not actually going to happen, because I'll be in Finland from the 21st to the 3rd of January. Not sure whether I'll change them before I go or not - probably not.

You start out with one ribbon of each colour and add ribbons each day until the 21st?

That'd be cool, and would result in a huge bunch of ribbons by the celebration, but I'm loath to hand over quite that much money to my local fabric shop - I'm using 3-metre lengths, and they come in at about E1:50 each. So one of each color on the first day, and possibly a few others as the time draws near and I have spare change for the ribbons. Of course, in a few years time, I'll have a box of ribbons to draw from, and not have to buy any except replacements.

What day did you start hanging ribbons for Samhain?

This year I found an orange ribbon hanging outside on the 2nd of October - everyone in the house denies hanging it, but things appearing is par for the course in our place (notable ones so far are an Opinel knife and a very fine pair of binoculars). I added a black one when I found it about a week later, and yesterday added one each of a black, and orange and a white just after midnight last night. Next year, the Samhain ribbons will be hung on the 22nd of September.

On what days do you start hanging ribbons for the other holidays (not counting the single dy ones like St. Patricks, etc.?

The day following the previous festival, I think. Possibly adjusted for when we're actually celebrating it, or for things like Samhain itself, which kind-of extends into November 1st.

From: [identity profile] galdrin.livejournal.com


I really - Really - REALLY love this idea. I'm gonna see if I can find something special to use to hang the ribbons from. This is too kewl.

- Rob aka Galdrin

From: [identity profile] malinaldarose.livejournal.com


Red and white or red and gold for Imbolc, I think. Red for Brighid's fire, of course.

From: [identity profile] sage-and-sea.livejournal.com


CJ's been trying to figure out for years now how to do this with "fairy lights". I absolutely love this idea! So know that on Saturday in Portland, Oregon, red & green ribbons will go up and your idea will have spread.

Samhain = black & orange
Yule = red, green, gold
Imbolc = red & gold?
Ostara = silver & pale blue
Bealtaine = deep blue & green
Midsummer = deep blue & white
Lughnasadh = green & gold
and Mabon = orange & gold & brown

just off the top of my head.....
ext_34769: (Default)

From: [identity profile] gothwalk.livejournal.com


That's a great set of colours. I'll probably use something very close to that...

From: [identity profile] bellacrow.livejournal.com


so, how are you hanging the ribbons? just straight? as a rosette?

From: [identity profile] wyvernfriend.livejournal.com


have Buckland's Practical Colour Magic, will try to bring with tomorrow, if not remind me of it next tuesday.
.