Lughnasadh: Pagan Celebration

Also Called Lammas, Harvest Home or Festival, Feast of Bread

Jul 28, 2007

Both Pagans and Christians celebrate the first harvest according to individual spiritual beliefs. It is a time of joy and to give thanks for abundance.

Lughnasadh/Lammas

Both Pagans and Christians celebrate the first harvest. Originally, it was not held on August first, but on the day of the initial harvest. The Pagans primarily call it Lughnasadh, pronounced LOO-nas-ah, August Eve and Lammas, while the Christians call it Lammas, Harvest Home, Feast of Bread and Harvest Festival. Christians celebrate by baking bread, then placing it on the church’s altar. Some also put fruit there. Prayers of Thanksgiving are said and there are hymns of gratitude.

To the Pagans, it is also a celebration of the first harvest. Thanks are given by chanting, dance and song. There may be a time of silence for reflection and gratitude. It is the day that the God loses his power and the Goddess feels both joy and sorrow; the former for the bounty of the first harvest; the latter, because she realizes the God is dying.

Celebration

The altar cloth and candles should be yellow. Summer flowers, fruit, whole wheat, rye or bran bread, a censer and, if available, sheaves of oat, wheat or barley adorn the altar or a table.

Light the candles and incense. Pass fruit around and savor its sweetness and goodness, giving thanks for nature’s bounty.

The Feast

Traditional foods served at Lughnasadh are berries, fruit and grains, bread, crabapples and cake. Cider or a drink made with it, apple juice, liqueur or wine is appropriate.

Creamed Cheese Spread: Allow 8 oz cream cheese to reach room temperature. Add about 2 Tbs of berry or fruit jelly and blend thoroughly.

Harvest Mix: Melt 3 Tbs margarine. Stir in ½ teaspoon each garlic and onion powder, 1 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce and about 10 drops hot pepper sauce (Optional.) Put 1 c each Corn, Wheat and Rice Chex, Cheerios, pretzel nuggets and home made popcorn (Do not use prepackaged popcorn because it burns.) into roasting pan. Pour margarine mixture over and mix to coat well. Bake 1 hour at 250º, stirring every 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Store in air tight containers.

First Harvest Soup:Place ½ pound left over roast beef and chopped vegetables: 2 carrots, 2 stalks celery (or ½ tsp celery seed), 1 tomato, 1 onion, ½ bell pepper and 2 potatoes in Dutch oven. Add 1 Tbs dried parsley flakes ¼ c barley, 3 minced garlic cloves and 1 tsp dried thyme. Fill pot with water to 2 inches from top. Boil. Add 8 oz frozen mixed vegetables. Simmer until meat is tender and almost falls apart. Add water as needed. Remove meat and cut into small pieces. Return to pot. Simmer about 15 minutes. Can be made with chicken or cooked and drained stirred ground beef.

Serve with rye, pumpernickel or whole wheat bread.

August Eve Salad: Add grape tomatoes, julienned bell pepper and thinly sliced Bermuda onions to one package of mixed salad greens and toss well. Dressing: Blend 1 c salad dressing or mayonnaise, ½ c ketchup, two tablespoons each finely diced stuffed green olives and sweet pickle relish and one finely diced hard boiled egg together.

Bountiful Ambrosia: Mix together well 1 ½ c each blueberries, blackberries or raspberries, diced peaches, pitted cherries and cantaloupe or honeydew melon. Coat with lemon or vanilla liqueur. Can be served alone or as a topping for cake or ice cream.