Ushering in the joys of the harvest season is Lammas or Lughnasadh, the first of the Harvest Festivals, marking the first grain reaping. In Ireland, it was considered bad luck to harvest grains before Lughnasadh. Doing so meant that the previous year’s harvest ran out too early and there is a risk that this year’s crop may do the same. Lughnasadh or Lammas is the mid-point celebration between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox and falls on August 1st this year. Some pagans like to extend the celebrations up to a week. Although they share largely the same traditions and significations, the two festivals developed separately, but now are often used interchangeably in some neo-pagan practices.
Lughnasadh is specifically an ancient Irish Celtic festival, although Scotland and Wales have similar versions as well. The name means “Commemoration of Lugh”, the Celtic Sun God. Although the festival is named after Lugh, it also celebrates his foster mother, Tailtiu, who introduced agriculture to Ireland. The Lughnasadh festival features the ritual cutting of the first grain harvest. These grains would be used to make the first loaves of bread to be enjoyed with the feast. The Sun is venerated on Lughnasadh: in addition to allowing crops to flourish, the Sun gives humans our vitality, and as such Lughnasadh celebrations include many athletic competitions to showcase the power of the Sun over our spirit.
Lammas literally translates to “loaf mass”. It is the Christianized version of the pagan harvest festivals celebrated around this time, and the holiday incorporated many of the same aspects. On this day, the first loaf made from the first grain harvest would be taken to the local church to be blessed by a priest. Now, Lammas has been reclaimed by many neo-pagan practices like Wicca.
Keeping with the same theme of the grain harvest, modern pagans bake cakes and bread to be eaten with any feasts in celebration of Lammas. They decorate their altars with symbols of the season, such as scythes, apples, and corn. If performing magical rituals, ingredients might include mint, blackberries, blackberry leaf, and of course, any grain.
This festival is about reaping the fruits of seeds we planted in Spring, literally and metaphorically. What projects are you reaping for yourself at the moment? What would you like to come to a close, or possibly start anew? Lammas is the perfect time to reflect on the past year and to begin the process of finishing, closing, and renewing as the witch’s year comes to an end. We can also start preparations for the dark half of the year, whatever that may look like for you. Take stock of your magical tools and ingredients, and store up your spiritual and physical harvest to get you through the barren months. Our Lammas Sabbat Box has the perfect collection of tools to aid you in this process, including an herbal tea blend, ritual oil, and ideas for seasonal rituals and spellcrafting.
That being said, let’s not forget to celebrate in the last moments of Sunlight. Host a feast with delicious seasonal foods, make offerings to a Sun god of your choice, and decorate your altar and home with the colors and symbols of the season. Our store provides all the tools and supplies you may need for your Lammas celebrations. Join us in celebrating the first harvest festival of the year.
