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Lughnassadh
Lughnassadh
Observed August 1, or
Sun 15 degrees Taurus
Lughnassadh, pronounced "Loo' nah sah," is the first of the three harvest festivals. We moderns tend to place emphasis upon the Spring growth festivals, but to agrarian peoples, the harvest was not only just as important, it was, indeed, the only
real point of having Spring festivals! This celebration
is named after its patron, the Celtic God Lugh of the Long Arm. Lugh is a God of fire, light, and skills, and this is one of the
festivals in which the early practice of craftsmen's guilds
putting on seasonal plays began. In some traditions,
Lugh sacrifices Himself at this time, but in Celtic myth,
it is Lugh's mother who dies at this time. Many modern
Pagans wait until Samhain to celebrate the death of the
God.
This is a holiday of cleansing, of early harvest, and of the end of Summer. It is also known as 'Lammas,' a Christianized version, which is a word meaning 'loaf-mass.' This reflects the
celebration of the first harvest of early grains, which are baked into a loaf the shape of a wheat ear or sheaf of grain.
This loaf is shared among celebrants, with prayers
of hope for the coming harvest. Demonstrations of skilled trades,
such as carpentry, blacksmithing, and masonry honor
Lugh in His tutelary & patronage aspects. Symbols
of Lughnassadh include the wheat-shaped loaf, blackberries &
blackberry dishes, and early-harvested crops. Colors
include gold, yellow, orange and red.
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