Lammas & Lughnasadh - The Pagan Celebration of The Summer Harvest
August 1st, on the wheel of the year, is the time modern pagans celebrate Lammas. Known as the first harvest, Lammas comes from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning ‘loaf mass’. This is the time of year when grain would be ready for the first harvest. It would be a joyous time for any farming community! All the work and effort that had been made throughout the early spring and summer can now be seen flowing golden in the field. It’s ready for the harvest season to begin.
In modern magical communities, we celebrate three harvest festivals on the wheel of the year. Lammas, Mabon, and Samhain (August, September, and October, respectively) are all celebrating another stage or layer of the harvest season. We take time to be grateful and appreciative before the cold, dark winter sets in. Proper preparation during the time of harvest can help you survive the cold and dark season of winter. This was a crucial part of our ancestors’ lives, more than many of us could understand. But even in our modern lives, somewhat separated from the cycles of nature, we can take this time for gratitude and preparation for the year. This is a good time to ask yourself, how can I be more prepared? What do I need to clean away, and what do I need to store up on to have a good winter?
In Ireland, the celebration is known as Lughnasadh. Lugh was an ancient Irish God of light and ingenuity. He was known as the many-skilled God, and his name literally means light. He was deeply associated with the sun, but also with serving the community you reside in and being a good member of the tribe. It has to be said that this festival has deep roots in the Celtic past. Lughnasadh’s origins date back to pre-Christian times in Ireland, when it was celebrated by the Celts to express their gratitude to nature for her blessings. Lugh, the god in whose honor the festival is celebrated, is closely linked to the sun, which explains why this celebration is often associated with the heat and light of summer and the beginning of the harvest.
Lughnasadh references a community celebration, a gathering of the tribes. Traditionally, this was a time of feasting and celebration. Competitive games of skill were part of the gathering. These were called the Tailteann Games, named for Lugh’s mythological foster- mother Tailtiu. Tailtiu was an agricultural goddess who cleared the land of Ireland for settlement. Much of her story has sadly been lost to history; however, the themes of harvest, community, and gratitude have remained etched on the surface of these celebrations.
Lughnassadh is a challenge to the heart of every modern witch if we think about it in this light… How can I contribute to my community? What skill or service do I offer up for my people? We all have different gifts, and this time of year calls us to consider what we can do, say, or be to improve our world.
The Lammas season is a time of joy. We look around and take in the beauty of what nature is offering us. We are enjoying the warmth and light of the sunny season, and we are making the most of longer days and time for relaxation and friendship. It can also be a time of transition, as it is the last breath of summer as the first exhale of autumn rolls in. It’s during this time of year that we remember who the community we belong to actually is. Where do we reside? What people do we feel akin to?
Lammas is also a good time to contemplate what your labor has brought you. What are you harvesting right now in your own life? As well as considering what work you can do in the coming year to bring an even better harvest next season? The games of chance and skill celebrated in ancient times remind us to challenge ourselves. Be courageous and build new power for the coming year, move and use our powers now for good, while also being grateful for all that has occurred.
Ways to Celebrate Lammas Today:
- Make a feast! Especially if you can include a wheat-based product like fresh bread or even pasta to commemorate this time.
- Cook with any seasonal food item that you may not have in the fall. What fruits and items are seasonal in your area right now that can help you sync up to the season?
- Be around friends! Throw parties and celebrate your relationships “just because”
- Consider a “games” night with loved ones where you can play competitive games or celebrate each other’s big wins from the season.
- Invoke deities that associate to the harvest or the sun
- Have a gratitude journal! Optionally write out everything you are grateful for from the spring and summer. Take note of what efforts and ‘seeds’ you planted last season that you get to harvest now
- Do some gardening! If you can do a literal harvest, do so! But even some light weeding and cleaning up your garden and home can be a great preparation for the season.
- remember to soak up the sun!!
Lammas (or Lughnasadh) is the pagan holiday usually celebrated around early to mid august. This holiday is known to mark the final harvest of the season, and to take in the last breaths of summer before the wheel begins to turn again to autumn.
This is a time of transitions, change, and gratitude for the season’s bountiful harvest.
This candle is topped with Purple Mallow Flowers. This is a flower that only blooms at the end of summer, making it sacred for the Lammas holiday.
Scented with a soothing, unique blend of autumnal spices like cinnamon and clove, accented with warm cedarwood and juniper to capture the essence of this holiday. An unforgettable scent you’ll love for seasons to come.
★ Scent notes- warm autumn spices, honey, and a vanilla base
Lammas (or Lughnasadh) is the pagan holiday usually celebrated around early to mid august. This holiday is known to mark the final harvest of the season, and to take in the last breaths of summer before the wheel begins to turn again to autumn.
This is a time of transitions, change, and gratitude for the season’s bountiful harvest.
Scented with a soothing, unique blend of autumnal spices like cinnamon and clove, accented with warm honey and juniper to capture the essence of this holiday. An unforgettable scent you’ll love for seasons to come.
★ Scent notes- warm autumn spices, honey, and a vanilla base