Lammas, also known as Lughnsad or Lughnasadh, is a pagan holiday and one of the eight Wiccan Sabbats during the year. Each Sabbat marks a seasonal turning point. The Sabbat occurs on August 1st which is halfway between the summer solstice (Litha) and the fall equinox (Mabon). This holiday celebrates the grain harvest. Grain is a very important crop for most civilizations. If the grain was left in the fields for too long or if the bread made from the grain was not baked in time, families might starve.
In early Ireland, it was not good to harvest grain before Lammas. If you did harvest before then, that meant the harvest from the previous year had run out before the next harvest was ready and the farmers would have failed in providing for their community.
On Lammas, the first sheaves of grain were cut and by that night, the first loaves of bread for the season would have been baked. The word Lammas comes from an Old English phrase that translates to “loaf Mass”. In early Christianity, the first loaves of the season were blessed by the church during mass.
At this time of the year, the earth is fruitful and abundant, crops are bountiful, and livestock are fattening up for winter. This is the season for harvesting corn and grain, so that we can bake bread to store and have seeds for next year's planting. It's the time of year when the apples and grapes are ripe for the plucking, the fields are full and lush, and we're grateful for the food we have on our tables.
Reflect - Lammas is a time of reflection. We’re over halfway through the year. Where do you stand on some of the goals you set for yourself back in the winter? What can you take notice of and give thanks for, and what can you let go of? Image this as a time to take an imaginary scythe to your life. Where can you cut back, so you can give more fully to the areas of your life that make you feel authentic and whole?
Set a Lammas Altar
Decorate your altar with anything seasonal such as summer flowers, things
harvested from your garden, a corn dolly, etc Bread, wheat, beer, honey, corn dolls, apples, grapes. Colours of yellow, red, brown and green are traditional of harvest festivals like Lammas.
For Lammas, here is a simple ritual that can be done alone or with family or friends in just a few minutes.
Supplies you’ll need:
Bread
Wine or beer, mead, fruit juice
A candle gold or yellow
Find a quiet place to sit for a moment or gather around your table if sharing the ritual with others. Have your bread, wine and candle in front of you (don’t forget something to light the candle with). Take a quick moment to think about what Lammas means to you, and what it has meant to those who have followed the season through times past. It’s the first harvest, time to offer bread in thanks for the prosperity of the crops.
Light your candle and incense. Take a bite of the bread and a sip of the wine.
Say these words:
On this first day of August, I light a candle to celebrate the harvest.
As the wheel of the year turns and the days start to grow shorter, I honour the Lord and Lady and thank them for the blessings and prosperity they have brought to me this year.
I honour those who came before me, and all things living on this earth.
Eat more of the bread, drink more of the wine, being sure to save the last bits as a sacrifice to the earth. Later pour them outside, in your garden, under a tree or into a potted plant.
If you have the time, sit for a few minutes and meditate before snuffing the candle. Be thankful for all the wonderful things that have come into your life this year.
Blessed Be!
