Lughnasa

Today marks one of the least recognized and celebrated Sabats in the wheel of the year, Lughnasa. The day is known by alternate names like Lughnasadh, Lunasa, and Lammas. It is interesting that it’s not a more celebrated day. As the first of the three harvest festivals, it sits midway between the Summer Solstice and the Autumnal Equinox. Making it a time when fire and water combine to create a very potent energy for ritual work. 

August is the month to celebrate Lugh the great Sun King and God of Light. For the Celts, Lughnasa, is both a harvest festival and a celebration of the Lugh the Celtic Solar God of war, victory and crafts, and is known as the Marriage of Lugh. On the eve of Lughnasa, Lugh fights the Lord of Evil for the possession of the harvest. When he wins, he is reunited with Mother Earth, then symbolically married in the form of the High King of Ireland to the High Priestess of Ireland, who represented Mother earth. The ceremony blessed the earth and ensured a plentiful harvest as well as another magnificent year of reign for the High King and Lugh. The combined symbolism of the God, Goddess and Grain is quite beautiful. 

With the invasion of the Anglo Saxons this day became Lammas and is a celebration of the first fruits, corn, wheat and barley. It is my understanding that Lammas is Anglo Saxon for bread. These early Christians would go to their wheat fields early on Lammas and take the first grains, grind them and make a loaf of bread. The bread would then be taken to church where it was blessed symbolically as the whole crop to ensure a good yield. All across Europe this type of thanks and celebration was done with various crops like grains, and fruits. 

There are many ways to celebrate this day. As it is a celebration of the first grain harvest, baking bread is a wonderful way to thank the God and Goddess for the abundance given to us. 

Have a beautiful day. Blessed Be ❤ Sharon