Blessed Lughnasadh! Luhnasadh began at sunset this evening, on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, and continues into tomorrow, Thursday, August 1, 2024. Lughnasadh is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of harvest season.
Lughnasadh is one of the eight Pagan sabbaths, or threshold festivals, occurring approximately halfway between the Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox. It is named after Lugh, the Irish God of harvests, skills, trade, war, justice, and kingship. It coincides with the Christian holiday Lammas, which is celebrated in England, and some other English-speaking countries.
Lughnasadh was traditionally a time when Pagans would practice Handfasting: tying hands together as a symbol of engagement. Some would have ‘trial weddings’ on Lughnasadh, where they would try out the marriage out until the following Lughnasadh.
A great way to celebrate Lughnasadh is to bake bread! Some Pagans bake a face of the ‘Corn God’ into the bread, then symbolically eat it!
Eating corn would be another great way to celebrate Lughnasadh! Make sure it’s organic, though. Also, as Lughasadh is one of the four fire festivals (those occurring at the midway mark of a season), making a fire tonight would be another great way to celebrate!
Wishing you a Blessed Lughnasadh!
With Love,
Matthew John
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