July 23, 2021
Lammas - Lughnasadh
Lammas is celebrated from July 31 to August 2, but traditional celebration falls on August 1, the day when the first bread was baked from the first harvested wheat.
Within the Wiccan tradition, Lammas, or Lughnasadh, is the time of the first harvest, when God is still at his full powers man, but his time is slowly coming to an end. The pregnant Goddess is still happy by his side, but she knows that God will sacrifice himself for future life. Generally speaking, sacrifice is one of the central focuses of the feast - the Spirit of the Grain gives himself for the people to avoid hunger and the trees give fruits to anyone who wants them.
The other motif of the celebration is thankfulness for the harvest. Think about what harvest you have gotten this year, what you have done to "reap the rewards" today, and what lessons can be learned to improve and enrich the "harvest". No wonder, one of the symbols of Lammas is the sickle.
Lammas is traditionally associated with sunflower, ginger, rice, wheat, chamomile, corn cobs and grains, flour, different pastry, and in particular a loaf of bread.
By the way, one of the interesting traditions of August 1, is to weave dolls out of straw. They were made for good luck, to protect the home and strengthen the family, to bring more prosperity, healing, and attracting love. Witches wove dolls of God and Goddess from a straw for their altars.
Freshly baked homemade bread, corn porridge with butter, poppy seed cake, rice with vegetables, buns with raisins, compote of plums and peaches, wine, and chamomile tea with honey are excellent ritual treats for Lammas.
Lammas is a great occasion to gather close friends and relatives together to thank the gods, the Earth, and the Sun for their gifts and lessons. It is a day to sacrifice for others and to accept other people's voluntary sacrifices. It is important to remember that Lammas is a time of harvest, and on this day you may receive unexpected results or consequences of your actions and the results of your labors.
Lughnasadh is a traditional Celtic holiday. Its name means "The Wedding of the Lugh". Speaking of weddings, handfasting, an analog of the wedding among witches and pagans, is very common during Lammas.
The altar for the celebration is best to be in the open air, but you may also have it at home. You can decorate it with ears of wheat, put a large plate of seasonal fruits and vegetables, and leave the center for the loaf bread (you can buy it at the store or even do with a simple bun). You can sprinkle the altar (and your dining table) with rice grains or wheat - this will attract prosperity. The dolls of straw or dough would be a great decoration as well. The candles of orange, yellow, or gold color are great for Lammas celebrations. You may also decorate them with daisies or spikelets.
Daria Martina
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