Mabon is a day of thanksgiving, a time to appreciate bounty and to share in the delights of the harvest and a continuation of celebrating Lughnasadh, the first reaping of crops in August and feasting. Summer’s fruit, grains, herbs, and vegetables are preserved for later use during the cold times. This time of year also provides a good opportunity to walk in nature and savor the first day of fall.
Mabon Décor and Making a Mabon Corn Wheel
Decorate with the day’s colors: red, orange, yellow, gold, russet, maroon, brown, violet, and indigo. Walls and furniture are adorned with ivy and other vines, garlands, wheat, chrysanthemums, asters, gourds, acorns, maize, apples, pomegranates and cornucopias.
To make a Mabon corn wheel, wrap corn husks around a grape vine or straw wreath, leaving some of their leaves dangling. Secure with sticky glue and attach miniature ears of Indian corn to a small disk in the wreath’s middle.
Mabon Feast Recipes
Traditional food, drink, spices and herb for the banquet are grapes, wheat, bread, corn, root vegetables, nuts, apples, beans, squash, wine, ale, cider, cinnamon, cloves and sage.
- Hot Spicy Cider – Thoroughly mix together 6 cups of apple cider, ¼ cup of honey, 6 strips each of orange and lemon peels, 1 teaspoon of powdered cinnamon and 6 cloves in pan. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes or under mixture is hot, but not boiling. Cool, strain and refrigerate overnight. Reheat before serving.
- Corn Chowder – Melt 1 tablespoon of margarine. Add 2 strips diced bacon, ½ chopped large onion, carrot and bell pepper. Cook until onions are glossy. Drain. Return to pan and add ¼ teaspoons of celery seeds, 1 bay leaf, 2 cups of frozen or canned corn and 3 ½ cups of low fat milk. Bring almost to a boil, then simmer for ½ hour.
- Sage-Seasoned Pork Chops – Sprinkle and rub dried sage into six pork chops. Sauté meat in pan sprinkled with salt until chops are browned on both sides. Remove from pan and add 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of crumbled dried parsley and 2 chicken bouillon cubes. Bring to boil and cook until cubes are dissolved. Return chops to pan, cover and simmer about 45 minutes or until meat is done.
- Grape Salad – Wash and stem 4 pounds of seedless grapes. Blend together 8 ounces each of cream cheese and sour cream, 1 teaspoon of lemon extract and ½ cup of sugar. Stir in grapes and then chill overnight.
- Oven Roasted Vegetables and Kalamata Olives – Cut into bite-sized pieces 1 medium zucchini, bell pepper, Vidalia onion, 10 long green beans, 1 small eggplant and ½ cup of sliced Kalamata olives. Place in roasting pan and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Roast in a 400 degree oven for ½ hour, stirring once after 15 minutes.
- White and Sweet Potato Casserole: – Thinly slice 3 medium white and sweet potatoes. Grease a casserole dish with margarine. Place alternating layers of potatoes in dish, dotting each layer and top with margarine. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until potatoes are done.
- Spiced Apple/Almond Topping – Combine 2 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of almond liqueur, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and ½ cup of sugar in pot and boil gently for about 5 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is slightly thickened. Add 8 large cored and thinly sliced apples. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until fruit is tender and the mixture has thickened. Chill overnight and serve on ice cream, cake, waffles or pancakes.
Articles Related to Mabon
Readers who enjoyed this article might be interested in Autumn Equinox 2nd Harvest September 22nd, along with Lughnasadh: Pagan Celebration and Mabon, Fall Equinox-Second Harvest.
Sources:
- The Celtic Druid’s Year, John King, (Blandford, 1995).
- Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, Scott Cunningham, (Llewellyn Publications, 1992).
Jill Stefko - I'd rather deal with the paranormal than human abnormal - having dealt extensively with both.
