Lammas
- What
- Lammas
- When
- 8/1/2021
- Where
- Christian / Pagan
Lammas is christian and pagan holiday that occurs on the 1st of August in the northern hemisphere. Depending on whether the day is celebrated as a Christian holiday or as a Pagan holiday, it can either be used to celebrate the coming harvest or in celebration of the god Lugh – the master of skills.
In Old English, Lammas comes from the phrase “hlaf-maesse,” which roughly translates to loaf mass. Grain has always been a valuable commodity and during this period in time, when the first grain’s harvest was made into bread the Church would bless the loaves. Which is why it is seen and celebrated as a Christian holiday today, but the date also has roots in pagan traditions of its time and was used to honor Lugh, the Celtic god of skilled workers and craftsmen.
While some Christian communities continue the tradition of blessing loaves, that custom is slowly fading out and being replaced with a new tradition by attending mass or by adorning their house in fall symbols such as corn husks, wheat strands, apples and other traditional harvest symbols.
For Pagans, Lammas is the first of three different harvest festivals. Wiccans may celebrate by baking a Lammas bread man, or by feasting on a variety of foods which may include Lunastain Fry Bread, Colcannon, barley soup and chicken. It is also celebrated using symbols of the harvest season which may include corn dolls, corn husk chains, pentacles made out of wheat or grapevines and apple candle holders.