Encyclopedia > Lammas

Article Content

Lammas

1. The first day of August, on which was traditionally observed the Feast of First Fruits, a harvest festival. One of the Scottish quarter days.

2. In Neopaganism, Lammas is one of the eight solar holidays or sabbats. It is usually celebrated on the first day of August.

The name is Anglo-Saxon, from hlaf-mas, "festival of loaves". It celebrates the sacrifice of the corn god and the gift of bread. It is termed the first harvest, the second and third being Mabon and Samhain.

Lammas is also called Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo'na'sa, also spelt "Lunasa" and "Lughnassa"); this is a Celtic name, referring to the god Lugh. Lughnasadh is also the term for autumn and is modern Gaelic for the month of August.

Lammas is preceded by Midsummer and followed by Mabon.