Pagan Pride is a movement among American pagans to build a positive public image of paganism. 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 an organization whose aims are to promote understanding of paganism, support various charities, and bring pagan communities closer together. The project's logo shows various pagan symbols encircling the Earth—the

yin/yang Yin and yang ( and ) is a Chinese philosophical concept that describes opposite but interconnected forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the cycles of yin and ya ...

symbol, Celtic cross, Mjöllnir, a Triple Goddess symbol, an Eye of Horus,

Venus of Willendorf The Venus of Willendorf is an Venus figurine estimated to have been made around 25,000-30,000 years ago. It was found on August 7, 1908, by a workman named Johann Veran or Josef Veram during excavations conducted by archaeologists Josef Szombat ...

ankh Progressive ankylosis protein homolog (ANK ilosis H omolog) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''ANKH'' gene. This gene encodes a multipass transmembrane protein that is expressed in joints and other tissues and controls pyrophosphat ...

pentagram A pentagram (sometimes known as a pentalpha, pentangle, or star pentagon) is a regular five-pointed star polygon, formed from the diagonal line segments of a convex (or simple, or non-self-intersecting) regular pentagon. Drawing a circle arou ...

triskelion A triskelion or triskeles is an ancient motif consisting of a triple spiral exhibiting rotational symmetry. The spiral design can be based on interlocking Archimedean spirals, or represent three bent human legs. It is found in artefacts o ...

, Stone

Megalith A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea. The ...

Green Man The Green Man is a legendary being primarily interpreted as a symbol of rebirth, representing the cycle of new growth that occurs every Spring (season), spring. The Green Man is most commonly depicted in a sculpture, or other representation of ...

, Enneagram, and the Kabbalistic

Tree of life The tree of life is a fundamental archetype in many of the world's mythological, religious, and philosophical traditions. It is closely related to the concept of the sacred tree.Giovino, Mariana (2007). ''The Assyrian Sacred Tree: A Hist ...

Pagan Pride Day

Pagan Pride Day is an annual event held in a variety of locations across the world. The festivities are as varied as the communities who organize them. Some events are simple open picnics or cook-outs held in a local park; others are full-fledged festivals with rented venues, 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 traditions. The general public is invited and there are usually tables of reading materials, staffed by members of a range of Neopagan denominations. Speakers or

workshop Beginning with the Industrial Revolution era, a workshop may be a room, rooms or building which provides both the area and tools (or machinery) that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods. Workshops were the on ...

s may focus on dispelling common misconceptions about Neopaganism, or 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 Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * C ...

to support with fundraising and/or donations raised by the event. These charities might be organizations related to

environmental conservation *Environmental protection *Nature conservation Nature conservation is the moral philosophy and conservation movement focused on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protec ...

, animal rescues,

food pantries A food bank is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to those who have difficulty purchasing enough to avoid hunger, usually through intermediaries like food pantries and soup kitchens. Some food banks distribute food direct ...

, shelters for victims of domestic violence, or related causes. Pagan Pride Day events are open to the public and generally welcoming to families and children. Hosting a PPD event requires adherence to a range of policies. Many Pagan Pride festivals showcase local Neopagan performers, artisans, and merchants. Some events offer

open mic An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, usually taking place at night, in which audience members may perform on stage whether t ...

sessions where attendees might chant, tell jokes, spin tales, drum, or read poetry.

References

{{reflist

The Pagan Pride Project

Pagan Pride Day

References

External links