What Are the Sabbats? Credit: Shutterstock.com The Sabbats (or sab-bats) of Wiccans and many other Pagans are the eight major annual festivals. These are opportunities for Pagans to recognize the essential unity between the spiritual and the physical, between the earth (with its seasonal transitions) and the supernatural. Sabbat holidays are measured from sunset to sunset, and most of the rituals and magic (or “magick”) are conducted at night. The eight festivals include four that are derived from ancient Celtic or western European traditions (sometimes called “the greater Sabbats”) and four from transitional times in the seasons of the year (sometimes called “the lesser Sabbats”). These alternate between one festival dedicated to solar-based events and one festival dedicated to earth-centered events, creating a cycle of holidays usually referred to as the Wheel of the Year. Each of these is an opportunity to worship gods and goddesses, welcome the changes of nature, draw on spiritual powers, and practice healing magick. Many Pagans gather during Sabbats to practice these rituals communally.