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Lughnasadh (pronounced loo’nass’ah) 1^st August. Is one of the eight Sabbats that witches, Wiccan’s and neo pagans observe Lughnasadh is originally a Celtic festival held to honour the Celtic god Lugh foster mother “Tailtiu “ who is said to of died of exhaustion after clearing the plains of Ireland for agriculture.

Lughnasadh is technically a funeral feast where patrons would show honour to Tailtiu by feasting and playing games. Since much of pagan life revolved around agriculture Lughnasadh be came the first day of the Harvest season, which would continue, to Samhain.

Since the emergence of Wiccan and the creation of the wheel of the year Lughnasadh as taken its place in modern pagan life and seen less as a funeral feast and more of a harvest festival.

Many neo pagan interchange between Lughnasadh and Lammas with Lammas being a Anglo-Saxon harvest festival also know as hlaefmass, or loaf mass with strong connection to the church and is considered to be a Christian festival.

Some of the traditional events that would, and do take place on Lughnasadh and Lammas is the baking of bread and handfasting and the harvesting of the first fruits. Predominantly wheat, and making corn dollies.

It does amaze me that many books on Wicca and neo pagan practices still describe Lughnasadh and Lammas as the same thing which can get very confusing if your trying to understand what you are celebrating.

The festival that is on the 1^st August has many names including Lammas, Lughnasadh, 1st Harvest, Bread Harvest, Festival of First Fruits, Gŵyl Galan Awst (Welsh) etc. but all share many similarities in mythologies, activities and purpose.

If we can except 3 basic truths

1. Lughnasadh and Lammas where ancient festivals which where based on the cycles seen in agricultural societies and local mythologies.

2. That we use the cycles of nature as they would have been and since we live in a not agricultural societies and have lost the basic connection with the land as a source of survival so we use the wheel of the year to mark the points of the year.

3. The wheel of the year is made up and is basically a calendar of festival followed by many pagan paths.

We can look at the Sabbat with greater understanding.

We have to put ourselves in the mindset of a person who life depends on the land; the crops grown and harvested would be your only source of food and survival and a source for new crops next year. There would be no popping off to the supermarket to stock up; your whole life would be dependent on the elements and Mother Nature herself for survival.

Working for your own survival is very hard work and when your life depends on the growth and life cycle of crops there are small periods of rest bite before large periods of extra hard work this harder periods are the soil prep before planting – the planting itself – the growing and final the harvesting and returning to beginning of the cycle.

It no wonder then that the agricultural societies used local, regional and national Gods and their mythologies to explain and understand their situations if something was going right you would thank one deity if things where going wrong then you would request assistance from another.

As time moves on and societies get closer together through trade or war commonalities would be seen in spiritual practices and as families and communities intersected spiritual practices where combined creating the a local holiday or festival day.

Some of these holidays and festivals where adopted by whole nations and almost standardised in to national days of celebration some of which are still around today such as the 4 cross quarters of the wheel of the year.

For those festivals that are still around –

Samhain, All Hallow’s Eve, Last/Blood Harvest, Ancestor Night, Feast of the Dead, Nos Galan Gaeaf (Welsh)

Candlemas, Imbolc, Oimelc, Brigit, Brigid’s Day, Bride’s Day, Brigantia, Gŵyl y Canhwyllau (Welsh)

Beltane, Beltaine, May Day, Gŵyl Galan Mai (Welsh)

And Lammas, Lughnasadh 1st Harvest, Bread Harvest, Festival of First Fruits, Gŵyl Galan Awst (Welsh)

Most have lost their original meanings as we have move from an agricultural society to a society that is technologically advanced society where everything from food to sex can be order at a click of a mouse. But we do try to keep to the ideals that we are still somehow connect to nature and the land so we celebrate the 1^st harvest which any farmer today will tell you depends on many factors and cant be pinned down to a precise day to start as harvest happen when the fruit or grain is ripe not when the calendar drugs online say it time to harvest.

It does not matter what you call the 1^st August whether that be Lammas, Lughnasadh, 1st Harvest, Bread Harvest, Festival of First Fruits, or even Gŵyl Galan Awst (Welsh) just enjoy the day and feast well and make merry.

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