Is a Sabbat only wiccan, or is it that what pagan's call their holidays?

Question

Wiccan's call the holidays "Sabbats." Is that only Wiccan, or do Pagan's call them Sabbats too?

Answer 1

Most of the details about the original practices of

my classical Pagan religion were lost about 1600

years ago... therefore, in today's modern revival,

we use simple English-language terminology, and

refer to our holidays as just "celebrations" or "feast

days".

Answer 2

Not all groups, but a few religions that are considered Pagan use the term "Sabbat". Wiccans commonly use it, as well as Druids at times.

Answer 3

Sabbat (from French) is what Christians called them (Witches Sabbath) to signify what they imagined the "midnight rituals and orgies of witches, warlocks, devils, etc." to be. I assume you recognize the word "sabbath", which derives originally from Hebrew "sabat" to cease or rest. Common current usage is to designate the eight holy days of the Wheel of the Year. Sabbat and Sabbath mean the same thing and most people use the word to mean a holy day.

Answer 4

Wiccans and non-Wiccan witches most commonly use the term Sabbat.  Other pagans tend to have a term specific for their specific religion.  Wiccans and witches inherited the term from the historical witch-trials (which they previously have tried connecting themselves with).  Other pagans have never claimed a connection with that history and thus have no reason to use the terminology.

Answer 5

No,

other religions use the word too.

Answer 6

I'm sure that depends on which branch of Paganism you would be referring to.  Hinduism is a form of Paganism and they don't call their holy days "sabbats".