We all have things that just resound in our soul; things that whisper to us and call in the distance, guiding us down the pathways of life. For me, one of these things is Lughnasadh. I have felt drawn to things I didn't understand for most of my life - special rocks seemed to vibrate on a level I could feel but no one else around me noticed, I could see and hear things I couldn't explain, but no one else seemed to notice them. I also felt that something was missing from the holidays we celebrated in my childhood - every month seemed to have something special, except August. I can remember asking my mother as a child what holiday we skipped because it just felt like something should be there. As an adult when I started learning more about the wheel of the year and Lughnasadh it was if those whispers said, "Here's what you've been looking for" and my soul embraced the celebration I had been missing.
Lughnasadh is the first of the three harvest festivals (the other two being Mabon and Samhain) and is celebrated from sundown on July 31 to sundown on August 1. Often the names Lughnasadh and Lamas are used interchangeably, however, the two have different origins. Lugh is the modern Celtic god of harvest and the sun and in ancient times was considered the god artistry known for craftsmanship and his warrior ability. Nasadh translates to "festival or gathering (often associated with marriage)" and so Lughnasadh literally means to give in marriage to Lugh. It would then make sense that the origins of the celebration were in honor of Lugh's marriage, however, this is not the case. In Celtic legend, the festival of Lughnasadh began when the god Lugh created a funeral celebration for his foster mother Tailtiu who died from exhaustion after having cleared Ireland for agriculture. The funeral festival included feasting, games, and sports. Marriages and trial marriages were also part of the event and these trial marriages (handfastings) were said to last a year and a day, after which time the couple could decide to either go their separate ways with no consequence or to solidify their vows and remain married.
At Lughnasadh we celebrate summer's final swan song and the first harvest of the year. This harvest could be fruits and vegetables from your garden, herbs from your kitchen window, or sunflowers from your backyard. However, this harvest could also be something less tangible and more metaphorical. If you have been working on a project or long term goal, this could also be the time to see those fruits of your labor. In my current personal experience, the festival of Lughnasadh represents a bit of reprieve from the chaos of my work as our summer program winds down the last week of July giving me a chance to enjoy a harvest of calm and spend some time on the more domestic side of my life. Just as my experience is different than that of the ancient Celts, so is yours. You might opt to purchase your harvest fruits at a farmer's market or visit a "u pick" farm and collect berries. In any case, spending some time with the harvest of the local land will give your Lughnasadh celebration a more authentic feel.
Lamas translates to "loaf mass" and is a Christian holiday from medieval England also known as the Feast of the Bread (and this is why I opt to celebrate Lughnasadh and not Lamas). Like so many other holidays, the Christian church replaced a pagan holiday with one of their own. This was a time for people to bring in their first harvests and give them to the church. Of course, the "new" holiday kept many of the same themes - harvest, grain, and even feasting, but in typical fashion required a gift to the church as well.
Modern pagans can opt to celebrate either (or both!) of these holidays (because why not take something back that was taken from us, right?). Typical activities include making bread (what pagan celebration doesn't have bread included), harvesting, and handicrafts (in honor of Lugh). You could also host a celebration that includes your own games - things like a three legged race, horseshoes, or a tug of war would be fun. Whatever your choose to do, I hope you enjoy your Lughnasadh celebration!
Jen Marie
