Celtic Rituals, Festivals, Traditions and More

Celtic Rituals, Festivals, Traditions and More

One of the main reasons so little information about Celtic rituals and culture has survived is not because the Celts lacked a writing system—in fact, they had a well-developed script known as Ogham. The real reason lies in the practices of their priests, the Druids, who deliberately passed down their knowledge, customs, and rituals exclusively through oral tradition. This was done to protect their sacred teachings, but unfortunately, it left future generations with only fragments of what once was.

Furthermore, much of the surviving information about their rituals and culture was written by outsiders—Romans, who often viewed the Celts as enemies and labeled them as barbarians; Greeks, who didn’t delve deeply into Celtic practices; and various other travelers. These sources are not always reliable or impartial. For instance, Roman writers had political reasons to portray the Celts as savage and uncivilized—to justify military aggression and garner public support for continued warfare.

In this section, we will examine all the known and preserved information about Celtic rituals, beliefs, and traditions, and present it to you in an accessible and comprehensive format.