LAMMAS or LUGHNASADH

Let's start this post with the pronunciation of  Lughnasadh. It's a hard word- especially if you're American or from any other country than it's origin.

Lou-nah-sah

Not an easy word to sound out, am I right? 

BUT for the remainder of this post, I'll be using the term LAMMAS because it's easier to spell and I know a lot of people prefer this term because it's also easier to say. That being said, it is important to know the origin name for a number of reasons.

Because are they really the same thing..? Yes and no. 

Lughnasadh is the first harvest festival of the season. While it marks that Autumn is near, the hottest days of summer are still yet to come. This festival marks the halfway point between Autumn and Summer. 

The first crops are being cut and harvested. Some are even left as Offerings to the God and Goddess to ensure a safe winter.

Lammas roughly translates to Loaf-Mass and is referencing the first breads being baked from the first grain harvest. This is a newer name and was created by Anglo-Saxon era England. Christians, of course, kept this celebration in time with older Pagan tradition of Lughnasadh. Throughout the years, the festivals blended and became one.

This is a festival to give thanks for everything the Earth has provided and will continue to provide for us during the summer. Our gardens are thriving; tomatoes growing on the vine, fruits and vegetables are ready to harvest or almost ready to harvest. 

It is a reminder that there is a time for everything and that we will soon be preparing for the Dark Days to come when the nights are longer and the days are colder. It is assured that the seasons will change, as they have for thousands of years. 

For now, we will dance and be merry and be grateful for this season! And that is exactly what Lammas is all about.

You can celebrate by decorating your home or altar with symbols of the season; corn, barley, wheat. Corn dolls are often made and placed around the home or altar. 

The colors that correspond with this holiday are yellow, orange, red, brown, and green.

Consider baking your very own loaf of fresh bread or creating a fruit and vegetable tray to enjoy the harvest of the season!

I know I'll be baking this Lughnasadh!

-Maddie