Lughnasadh

From SourceryForge

Pagan Festivals

February 2nd	Imbolc
March 20th	Vernal equinox / Ostara
May 1st	Beltane
June 21st	Summer solstice / Litha
August 1st	Lughnasadh / Lammas
September 22nd	Autumnal equinox / Mabon
October 31st	Samhain
December 21st	Winter solstice / Yule
The exact date each year can vary slightly. The dates are different in the southern hemisphere.

Lughnasadh is named after the Celtic sun God Lugh, whose foster mother Tailte's funeral games are held at this time. As autumn begins, the Sun God enters his old age, but is not yet dead. The God symbolically loses some of his strength each day as the nights grow longer. As the first of the three harvest festivals, much of its symbolism revolves around grains and bread, and is often marked with rituals and activities related to the harvest, corn and grain. Sacrifices were common, though mostly symbolic, in order to ensure the continued success of the harvest. It is a joyous festival consisting of singing, dancing, games, and the lighting of yellow candles to honour the God.

Traditions: Bread baking, making corn dollies, lighting of yellow candles.

Correspondences: corn, sandalwood, heather.

Food: Brown bread.

In Christian times the festival was co-opted as Lammas,from Anglo-Saxon for "loaf-mass":people were encouraged to have the first loaf of bread baked from new-harvested grain blessed by a priest at a Mass.