Pagan Pride Day to be held Sept. 13

CARIBOU, Maine — Pagan Pride Day 2014 will be held on Saturday, Sept. 13 at Collins Pond Park in Caribou from noon until 5 p.m., and people of all ages and spiritual backgrounds are welcome to attend.
The International Pagan Pride Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to the elimination of prejudice and religious discrimination through education, activism, charity, and community, and this is the second year local organizers have coordinated the event in the region.
The day will include informational booths, vendors and other activities celebrating the Autumn Equinox, which is a time of thanksgiving in many Pagan traditions. A non-perishable food drive will also be held during the event, with non-perishables being accepted as admission and donated to local charities.
“The food drive gives participants a way to share with those who are less fortunate while making a positive statement about Paganism,” explained one of the event organizers, Sherri Cox. “For decades, Pagans have been wrongly accused of practicing devil-worship and performing ‘black magic.’”
In reality, Cox said that most Pagans enjoy a religion emphasizing respect for nature, humanity and oneself; she explained that Modern Paganism, or Neo-Paganism, is a growing religious movement based on combinations of ancient polytheism, modern eco-spirituality, and reverence to the Divine as both masculine and feminine.
For more information, call Cox at 540-3010 or Barbara Hull at 999-2968 or email northernmainepaganpride@yahoo.com.