It’s already Lammas, 1st August and this year there’s no specific celebration, as I’m gearing up to see 1 daughter for the day, then 2 days later take 1 daughter to move back to Uni.
It’s been a funny ole year with Coronavirus, it’s spoiled everyone’s plans globally and played heavy on people’s mental health.
Instead we are hoping to go out and spend a night in a hotel and celebrate as a couple, over good food and wine, and hope for the brightest of blessings.
What is Lammas?
Lammas day – or ‘loaf mass’ – is traditionally when people celebrate the first wheat harvest in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and is the noted as the first harvest festival (but much earlier than THE harvest festival which is in September) of the season.
Grains that are harvested at Lammas time include, wheat, barley, oats, rye as well as the plants meadowsweet, mint, sunflower and Calendula.
The festival’s roots date back to Anglo Saxon times when the festival was referred to as the ‘feast of first fruits’. It also marks the end of the hay harvesting season.
Lammas Day is usually around the beginning of August and coincides with when tenant farmers would have presented the first crop harvest to their landlord.
Ways to celebrate
If you are lazy or as busy as me, This year I’ll be picking my black berries and wild strawberries, and combining them with my rhubarb. Perfect to store away for winter months.
Decorate the altar or your hearth with Sunflowers. Bring in that last kiss of summer before you acknowledge autumn is coming. Or if flowers aren’t your thing, gather feathers, pine cones and nice pebbles from country walks.
Visit the woods and rivers if you can, feel the Earth and Water elements, it’s what we’ve been doing all Lockdown. It’s done wonders for mental health. Seen as all our Witch events are cancelled this year.
If you can bake bread now is the perfect time to do so, but alas it’s not my skill, but instead I will drink lots of beer and that’s my mini nod to John barleycorn.
As it’s the First harvest out of 3, it’s worth starting to plan the colder months, find the books you will want to read, brush up on what skills and visit places while you can, if you can.
Brightest Blessings Witches
debbiehipster 