There are two main branches to this holiday: agricultural and sexual. If the first is clear: August is the time for harvesting and its collection, then the second is not so obvious. But if you remember the Celtic beliefs, then everything falls into place.
Summer Wedding
Lammas is filled with sexual energy, it is celebrated as a day of male and female fusion. This is part of ancient beliefs that say that the Sun God is still full of strength, and the Goddess has just given birth to a harvest. They are both young, they have many desires and aspirations. They are, after all, getting married.
But not only the gods celebrated weddings, people also celebrated weddings on Lammas Day. Sometimes real, and sometimes symbolic or even “test”.
Men and women came together for a year + 1 day to determine whether they should then be together for the rest of their lives and start a family.
Lammas Loaf
And what wedding is complete without gifts? None, and especially if we are talking about a divine wedding. The Celts knew this, and therefore, in order to appease the God and Goddess, the Sun and Nature, and ask them for help in agricultural matters, they baked ritual bread.
Bread is one of the main symbols of Lughnasadh, and it was made with a special ritual.
Lammas is a holiday of the new harvest, the first bread, and therefore the first slice of the ritual loaf is dedicated to the Sun/god of abundance and fertility. Bread has always been taken very seriously, because it is the main food.
For example, in Ireland, they did not even begin to harvest before Lammas. It is a bad omen that what is harvested early is eaten early. And if there was not enough food until the next agricultural season, this could turn into a disaster for the community.
That is why people waited for August and Lammas Day. In the evening, before the holiday, each owner went to the field, cut the first sheaf and threshed it (according to another version, the sheaf should have been taken last). And the hostess baked the first bread of the year from the first grain.
Most often, such loaves were decorated with an image of an ear of corn. And sometimes they even stylized the whole loaf – they molded a figurine of a deity. They gave it a name, or the name of a god, or simply called the Bread Man or simply Bread. A Bride was often molded to pair with such a figurine.
Such ritual bread was brought as a sacrifice to the gods, placing it on the altar. But not always whole, sometimes the loaf was divided into several parts:
- Part for the elves, fairies and gnomes (they were called “little people”). Slices of bread were left in the field or at home;
- Part was usually kept until Imbolc;
- And the rest was divided among all family members.
Offerings
Not only bread was offered to the gods, but also nuts, vegetables, wine or beer. Anything that could be made from the new harvest. Sometimes money was offered as a sacrifice, such an offering was made so that the gods would grant good luck in trade, and this was very important. Fairs began to be held from Lughnasadh
A holiday for cattle breeders
Lammas was important not only for farmers, cattle breeders also took the holiday seriously and contributed to it. On August 1, everyone who was in the pastures was treated to a special cheese. For luck, so to speak
A lot of rituals were performed to protect cattle from diseases and other misfortunes. Women read special spells and performed other magical actions. For example, they smeared the tails and ears of cows with resin. Sometimes they bathed animals in the sea or river
A holiday for the family
This holiday united people. It is still a family affair, and everyone who celebrates the days of the Wheel of the Year gathers together as a family. In the past, the entire community prepared for Lughnasadh: someone fussed over the food, someone decorated the altar, someone kept the place clean and tidy.
Bonfires
Lammas, like Litha or Beltane, was celebrated by bonfires, the whole village gathered on a hill, jumped over the fire and had fun.
- They always made sacrifices, in Scotland they set aside as much as a 10th of the harvest for these purposes.
- They treated each other to croissants, bread with honey, honey cakes, pies.
- They drank ale, wine or beer.
Headmen
On Lammas Day (Lughnasadh), it was customary to choose leaders (kings, village elders, etc.). It was believed that such a person would be generous and wise, like the Sun.
Straw dolls
A doll was woven from ears of corn or straw, personifying the Goddess – Mother of the Harvest. Such a figurine could serve as a talisman for the house for a whole year. And women who wanted to get pregnant or get married carefully kept it. When a year passed, the figurine was burned, after thanking for the help.
Ritual basket
To emphasize the divine union, a ritual basket was collected, filled with bread, pies, croissants and decorated with flowers and ribbons.
Magic of Lughnasadh
Lammas Day (Lughnasadh) is a mystical holiday of the off-season.
- Since this holiday is filled with sexual energy, it is ideal for love magic. Rituals were performed for the birth of children, weddings, and family hearths.
- In addition to rituals for the harvest, love and relationships, the magic of wealth, prosperity, well-being and luck was widespread.
- In addition to everything else, Lugh was also considered the patron saint of poets. Frankly speaking, this deity protected everyone who was a creator to one degree or another. And therefore, all those who needed inspiration could count on his favor on this day. You just had to bring something as a gift.
- On this day, it was customary to forgive sins and get rid of anger. The gods helped with this.
- People made wishes, which, as it was believed, could come true with a high degree of probability.
- They made talismans, there was no other way.
- Moreover, it was considered good form to use solar stones (citrine, amber) and combine them with a piece of nature (wood, natural fabric).
- Lughnasadh is an excellent time to leave behind everything unnecessary and unpromising. A kind of time for beginnings and summing up intermediate results.
