How I Celebrate Lughnasadh (Lammas Day)

Before I delve into my essential Lughnasadh rituals, I would like to express that I have not written in quite some time. Sure, I am working on a children’s story at the moment, and also write poetry, but what I mean is that I have not written anything of length for the public in very long.
So with that in mind, I hope you will focus more on the ideas presented here and less on the formatting. Part of my goal is to improve my writing skills and to be as skilled as I once was in all aspects of my writing in general.
Enough said. So…you want to know how I celebrate Lughnasadh! For those of you who don’t know what it is: Lughnasadh, also known as Lammas Day, is a commonly celebrated Gaelic holiday with Pagan origins. It marks the beginning of the harvest season and revolves primarily around reaping what was previously sown. Berries, wheat, any sort of grain, are all examples of things consumed during this time. (For more concise information, see the Wiki page.)
Lughnasadh is celebrated between July 31st and the first week of August in most cases (at least near me). But to be more accurate, I would do some research based on your location.
There are a lot of different ways one can celebrate this sabbat and there is no mandatory ritual for this celebration. Do what feels right to you. Now in keeping with the themes of this holiday, I enjoyed some pancakes with sweet and savory toppings. Other carbs I consumed include brown rice with vegetables, corn, white rice, and a small amount of bread. As a substitute for wine, I also drank juices made from various fruits such as grapes, berries, and citrus fruits.
I wanted to share a list of easily accessible options for those of you seeking a modern and realistic approach to acknowledging this sabbat. It’s easier to start simple and work your way up to more elaborate things, like baking your own bread. Alternatives to bread could be store bought: muffins, cereals, oats and porridges with different berries, granolas, cous cous, polenta, quinoa, rice pudding, bread pudding, cornbread, gingerbread, olive bread, sesame seed (or any kind) bagels. I’m just going off the top of my head! Sidenote: some of these are meant to be symbolic.
Visiting your local farmer’s market would be a good idea, since this sabbat is all about the first harvest and any locally harvested grains or corn would be appropriate. Check online to see what fruits and vegetables are in season in your region if you don’t know from memory.
I may update this post at a later time. But this was a great warm up for my writing and I hope you got something out of it!
(Image credit: http://triskelartscentre.ie/)
Til Death Do Us Part,
Mori