Festival of Light

Falling midway between Summer Solstice and Autumnal Equinox is the cross-quarter holiday of Lugnasadh, which is the first in the trilogy of harvest festivals, Lugnasadh, Mabon and finally Samhain. Lugnasadh commemorates the first fruits of the harvest; reminding us of our close relationship with the Earth. It is at the time of Lugnasadh when the days suddenly seem to shorten and the nights grow longer.

Usually on or about 1st August. Lugnasadh is also known as:Lammas, Cornucopia, Thingtide, Festival of Light, Latha Lunasdal
Historic LugnasadhLugnasadh is a harvest celebration named for Lugh (Irish), Llew (Welsh), Lug (Britonic), or Lugus, the Celtic sun god.

Lugnasadh is known to non-Celts as Lammas. The common name for this seasonal celebration in modern times, comes from the word for "loaf mass", which celebrates the bread made from the first grain to be harvested. This is the time of corn festivals and corn dances. Lugnasadh was the first of three harvest festivals. Lugnasadh was the early harvest, often the largest and the most important followed by Mabon and then the final harvest of the year which came at Samhain.

The success of the harvests would determine the quality of life for the rest of the year. Every able-bodied person would gather to harvest the all-important corn, barley, oats and wheat; with everyone in the community working together. At the completion of the work they then would celebrate and thank the Gods for the bounty of the fields. The descent into the darkness of winter is still several months away, but the ever-present spector of famine was never far from people's minds. A fine celebration at Lugnasadh showed the Gods, that the people truly appreciated the bounty given to them.

In Europe the Corn Mother was made from the last sheaves of corn harvested; as her spirit was believed to be embodied in these. The "corn dolly" would be kept safe through winter and then buried in the spring, with the sowing of the fields.

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