About
Lughnasadh was the Gaelic festival of the start of the harvest, said in medieval Irish tradition to have been founded by the god Lugh in memory of his foster mother Tailtiu. It was marked by great assemblies with games, contests, trading and matchmaking, and in folk custom by climbing hills and gathering bilberries. In England the same date was Lammas, the loaf mass, when bread from the first grain was blessed. It is one of the eight sabbats of the Wheel of the Year, a twentieth-century framework not every tradition uses.
Customs
- Baking a loaf from the first grain of the harvest
- Climbing hills and gathering bilberries
- Holding games, races and contests of skill
- Fairs, trading and matchmaking
- Making corn dollies from the last sheaf
Food
- A harvest loaf
- Bilberries or blueberries
- New potatoes
- Honey and butter
- Recipe: Lughnasadh harvest loaf 3 hours, including rising
A simple ritual
- Bake or buy a fresh loaf of bread.
- Light a candle safely and give thanks to Lugh and the land for the harvest.
- Break the loaf and offer the first piece to the earth or the birds.
- Name the fruits of your own work this year, however small.
- Share the bread, then put out the candle.
Never leave candles or fires unattended, and keep them away from pets and children.