Lammas, the End of Summer

The summer Sabbat of Lughnasadh is one of the major Sabbats, and takes place from sundown on July 31st and lasts until sundown on the day of August 1st. The holiday is rooted in Celtic tradition, and is a day of feasting, games and dancing. The day is not in honor of Lugh. He founded the holiday to honor his foster mother Taillte. Lugh swore an oath to honor her memory, and the day became considered auspicious for signing contracts, or for exchanging marriage vows. This day is also sometimes called Lughnasadh, pronounced "loo-nah-sah."

Lammas is the first of three harvest festivals, which happen now through the autumn, as different crops were gathered and the nature gods moved through their recurring cycles of birth, growth, and death. The ripening of grains (barley, oats and wheat) and corn was one of the main focuses of Lammas. The Green Man was primary to these rites, sometimes called the Corn or Wicker Man. His death is necessary for the rebirth of the next season of crops, with his rebirth at Yule, and coming of age at Beltane.

Another meaning for Lammas is "loaf mass."

Lammas is the first of three harvest festivals, which happen now through the autumn, as different crops were gathered and the nature gods moved through their recurring cycles of birth, growth, and death. The ripening of grains (barley, oats and wheat) and corn was one of the main focuses of Lammas. The Green Man was primary to these rites, sometimes called the Corn or Wicker Man. His death is necessary for the rebirth of the next season of crops, with his rebirth at Yule, and coming of age at Beltane.

Moving into the waning year, all night bonfires were often held, with dancing and games held alongside the harvesting and ritual food offerings. Festivities could include making corn dollies, harvesting herbs, races and games of skill, similar to events you find at modern Renaissance Faires. The Oak King symbolically dies at this time of year, to allow the cycle to renew again, however this is not a solemn holiday. Sacrifices of crops and animals were sometimes made, and occasionally in some cultures, the king or a stand-in was offered. The burning of a wicker man was sometimes associated with these rites, an ancient precursor to festivals like the modern Burning Man festival held in Black Rock, Nevada at the end of August. Another ceremony performed at Lammas was the Catherine Wheel. A large wagon wheel would be taken to a hilltop, covered in tar, set afire and sent rolling down the hill. Some feel this symbolizes the waning sunlight and the sun-god having reached the autumn of his years.