Pagan Pride Day

Pagan Pride is a movement among the American

Neopaganism in the United States

Neopaganism in the United States is represented by widely different movements and organizations. The largest Neopagan religion is Wicca, followed by Neodruidism. Both of these religions were introduced during the 1950s from Great Britain. Germanic Neopaganism and Kemetism appeared in the US in...

Neopagan

Neopaganism

Neopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...

community to provide a positive public image of Neopagans and Neopaganism.

Local Pagan Pride groups sponsor "Pagan Pride Day" festivals, usually in public locations such as city parks or university campuses. The first recorded reference to "Pagan Pride" can be traced to 1992.

The Pagan Pride Project

The Pagan Pride Project is a non-profit organization whose aims are to promote understanding of Paganism, support various charities and bring Pagan communities closer together. It was founded in 1997. The project's logo shows various Pagan symbols encircling the Earth - the yin/yang symbol, Celtic cross

Celtic cross

A Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated...

, Mjollnir, a Triple Goddess

Triple Goddess

The Triple Goddess is the subject of much of the writing of Robert Graves, and has been adopted by some neopagans as one of their primary deities. The term triple goddess is sometimes used outside of Neopaganism to refer to historical goddess triads and single goddesses of three forms or aspects...

symbol, an Eye of Horus

Eye of Horus

The Eye of Horus is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection, royal power and good health. The eye is personified in the goddess Wadjet...

, Venus of Willendorf

Venus of Willendorf

The Venus of Willendorf, also known as the Woman of Willendorf, is an high statuette of a female figure estimated to have been made between 24,000 and 22,000 BCE. It was discovered in 1908 by archaeologist Josef Szombathy at a paleolithic site near Willendorf, a village in Lower Austria near the...

, ankh

Ankh

The ankh , also known as key of life, the key of the Nile or crux ansata, was the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic character that read "eternal life", a triliteral sign for the consonants ʻ-n-ḫ...

, pentagram

Pentagram

A pentagram is the shape of a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes...

, triskelion

Triskelion

A triskelion or triskele is a motif consisting of three interlocked spirals, or three bent human legs, or any similar symbol with three protrusions and a threefold rotational symmetry. Both words are from Greek or , "three-legged", from prefix "τρι-" , "three times" + "σκέλος" , "leg"...

, Stone Megaliths, Green Man

Green Man

A Green Man is a sculpture, drawing, or other representation of a face surrounded by or made from leaves. Branches or vines may sprout from the nose, mouth, nostrils or other parts of the face and these shoots may bear flowers or fruit...

, Enneagram

Enneagram (geometry)

In geometry, an enneagram is a nine-pointed geometric figure. It is sometimes called a nonagram.-Regular enneagram:A regular enneagram is constructed using the same points as the regular enneagon but connected in fixed steps...

and the Kabbalistic

Kabbalah

Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...

Tree of life

The concept of a tree of life, a many-branched tree illustrating the idea that all life on earth is related, has been used in science , religion, philosophy, mythology, and other areas...

Pagan Pride Day is an annual event held in a variety of locations across the world. The festivities are as varied as the communities which organize them. Some events are as simple as an open picnic or cook-out held in a local park. Some events are full-fledged festivals which rent venues with performance stages and food facilities. There are, however, several common elements.

First and foremost is the goal of educating the public about the beliefs and practices of various Neopagan

Neopaganism

traditions. The general public is invited and there are usually tables of reading materials, staffed by members of a range of Neopagan denominations. Speakers may focus on dispelling common misconceptions about Neopaganism, or they may seek to educate outsiders about the details of their particular beliefs and practices.

The second most common aspect is charitable work. Many Pagan Pride coordinating committees choose a local charity to support with fundraising and/or donations raised by the event. These charities might be organizations related to environmental conservation, animal rescue

Animal rescue

Animal rescue can refer to:* Animal Rescue TV series* Animal sanctuary* Animal welfare* Rescue groups for pets* Pet Rescue * RSPCA Animal Rescue TV series* Wildlife rescue* Wildlife rehabilitation...

s, food pantries

Food bank

A food bank or foodbank is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes mostly donated food to a wide variety of agencies that in turn feed the hungry. The largest sources of food are for-profit growers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers who in the normal course of business have...

, shelters for victims of domestic violence

Domestic violence

Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...

or other causes.

Pagan Pride Day events are usually welcoming to families and children. There are rules regarding what can and cannot occur at such events to this end. Many events provide a children's area where young Neopagans can participate in various creative and entertainment activities. Children might learn to play rhythm toys with a volunteer musician. They might make wands or other ritual tools for their own use. Mask making is always a popular activity. There are usually spiritual aspects to the children's activities without being too serious or cumbersome for them to comprehend. Often older children help their elders keep tabs on the smaller children, thus learning responsibility via community service.

Many Pagan Pride festivals showcase local Neopagan performers, artisans and merchants. Some events offer open mike sessions where attendees can take a turn chanting, telling jokes, spinning tales, drumming, or reading poetry.

External links

News coverage

200 gather in South Park for Pagan Pride Day - Post-Gazette coverage of event in Pittsburgh, PA
Pagan pride day - Minneapolis / St. Paul, MN event
Savannah, GA Pagan Pride Day Pagan Pride in Savannah, GA
http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_central/nanaimonewsbulletin/news/101508509.html Nanaimo BC, Canada Event
http://www2.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/news/story.html?id=a769cebe-6cee-4da4-bc50-d010615dca7e Nanaimo BC, Canada Event
http://www.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/story.html?id=e5cc86a7-1772-4351-8a4e-1031f52dd665 Nanaimo BC, Canada Event

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.