The Celtic Solar Fire Festival of Lughnasadh takes place at the mid-point between Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox.

Traditionally, the Gregorian calendar gives the festival a fixed date of August 1^st, and a Christianised name of “Lammas”, meaning “Loaf Mass”. 

However, the Gregorian calendar is out-of-sync with what is happening in our solar system.  The precise astrological cross-quarter date in 2026 is August 7^th, when the Sun reaches 15 degrees of Leo (135˚ ecliptic longitude). 

Regardless of dates and names, this festival celebrates the start of the harvest in the Northern Hemisphere, when grain is gathered to make the “First Loaf”.  It is also regarded as the start of Autumn, the time to gather-in supplies for winter. 

In ancient times, local Goddesses of the Land / Earth Mothers, who provided food for the Tribe, were honoured at this time.  The Greek Goddess Demeter and the North American Corn Maiden are good examples.  

According to Irish legends, the Sun God LUGH (corresponding to the astrological sign of Leo, which is ruled by the Sun) inaugurated funeral games to honour his foster mother Tailtiu, who had died of exhaustion after clearing the plains of Ireland for agriculture.  Tailtiu can be seen as a classic Land Goddess, sacrificing herself so that the Tribe could grow food and feed themselves.  Funeral games were a common practice, particularly in Ancient Rome.  Thereafter, Lugh’s “games” continued to be celebrated each year under the name of “LUGHNASADH”.

There are many traditions associated with these August festivals.  Often, the more ancient pagan rituals were “Christianised” by the later religion, while still retaining the basic principals of the feast. 

For instance, at Lammas, Christians would bake fresh bread from the newly harvested wheat, which was then brought to church to be blessed during a special church service.  Part of the blessed bread would be broken for communion, while families took the rest home for the harvest feast.  In some places, churches still bless local loaves and bakers. 

Not just grain was gathered at this time but also berries, such as Bramble Berry, Cranberry and Blueberry.  These berries were not cultivated but wild-gathered, regarded as yet another gift from the Goddess.  They often grew on poor soil on hillsides, and these hills would become places of pilgrimage at Lughnasadh, where dancing and feasting took place after the berries were picked. 

Whatever was harvested, it needed to be processed and preserved straight away, in order for it to last until the following season’s harvest.  Any excess could be sold at market.  To this day, in Ireland, most of the traditional agricultural shows and fairs take place in August, along with horse-racing and athletic competitions, harking back to Lugh’s “funeral games”.

These pagan traditions were so strongly embedded in the community that Christianity was unable to eradicate them.  Instead, the Church “Christianised” them!  They replaced Tailtiu, and the other harvest goddesses, with their own iconic female figure, the Virgin Mary.  Keeping to the funeral theme, the Church declared that the Mother of Jesus Christ had been taken body and soul into heaven at the end of her life and this would be celebrated on August 15^th.

In France, and in many countries around the world, the Feast of the Assumption on August 15^th is a nationwide public holiday and a major solemnity, with special processions and services.  It used to be a public holiday in Ireland but is now optional. 

Another pagan Lughnasadh custom, which became Christianised, was “Tending to the Holy Wells”.  Water-Priestesses and Well-Maidens would clear away the summer overgrowth and remove any debris before performing blessing ceremonies.  This usually involved decorating the wells with fresh flowers.  Then they would walk sunwise around them, honouring the Sacred and leaving offerings in thanks for healing received. 

In later Christian times, this ritual of honouring the Holy Healing Wells became known as “Doing the Rounds” (in Irish Gaelic, “Turas”).  It involved clockwise prayer walks, specific Stations of the Cross, and leaving tokens, such as rags or coins, to give thanks for the First Harvest.  [Please note that the custom of hanging rags on trees actually harms the tree and an excess of rags can even kill it!  Metal objects, such as coins, pollute the water, as does pouring libations of milk near a water course.]

So, what is a good modern way to celebrate Lughnasadh / Lammas?  Here are some suggestions!

1. Put on your apron and get cooking in the kitchen!  You can make a simple loaf of bread using a bread machine, if you do not know how to rise dough from first principles.  Alternatively, you could make a cake or cookies that include wild berries, such as Bramble Berry, Cranberry or Blueberry.  Then hold a feast and invite your family and friends, to give thanks for having food on the table!  Food should never be taken for granted.  It is a gift!
   
   
2. If cooking is not your thing, then consider volunteering to help clean up a local water source or waterway, which has become polluted.  As drought is becoming an increasing occurrence, including here in Europe, then we need to value and preserve our sources of fresh, clean water.  Like food, we should never take water for granted.  Without it, most of the life on this planet would die. 

It just remains for me to wish you all many blessings for Lughnasadh and Lammas.  Whatever way you chose to celebrate, remember to give thanks for having food to eat and water to drink.

ENDS             Veronica Smith          First Published on 29^th July 2026