Lammas

Lammas, also known as Lammas Day or loaf-mass, is a traditional harvest festival observed on August 1 in parts of the British Isles and related calendar traditions. The name derives from Old English hlāfmæsse, meaning loaf-mass, reflecting the practice of blessing the first loaves baked from the new grain as the harvest begins. In medieval England, communities would bring loaves to the church for consecration, marking the transition from the grain’s growth to its gathering.

The festival honors the first fruits of the harvest, particularly wheat and corn, and falls near a cross-quarter day that lies between midsummer and autumn. While Christian customs historically dominated Lammas, it also persisted in folk practices such as bread-sharing, feasting, and rituals connected to farming and the land.

In Gaelic-speaking areas and among modern practitioners, Lammas is often identified with Lughnasadh, the Celtic harvest festival held around the same time. Some traditions treat Lammas and Lughnasadh as overlapping or synonymous. In contemporary pagan and Wiccan practice, Lammas is observed as a sabbat emphasizing gratitude for the year’s first fruits, with rituals that may include baking, feasting, and blessings.

Today the term Lammas is more common in English contexts, while Lughnasadh is widely used in Gaelic and modern pagan contexts. Together, these traditions reflect a long-standing association of harvest, bread, and communal celebration.