Lugnasad is one of the 4 main Celtic festivals, along with Samhain, Imbolc and Beltaine. Among the Celts, LUG is the god of Light. He is a "multiple" god, above the gods. This is the festival of abundance. It marks the beginning of the harvest period.
The festival should be celebrated on the full moon closest to August 1 ("hazel moon"), a date that is in fact often chosen for convenience. This is the festival of wheat and harvest, under the benevolent gaze of Lug, who promised peace and prosperity.
A little history of the peoples:
In ancient Ireland, Lugnasad was a time for gatherings and marriages (temporary or permanent). A flaming wheel was thrown down the slopes to illustrate the descent into winter, ending its journey in a river, thus uniting the symbolism of Fire with that of Water.
Lugnasad was an agrarian festival and a collective entertainment with games and competitions (fair, poets' and musicians' audition, games, horse races...). It was a time for exchange and friendship, and people came unarmed.
Under the aegis of the Clan Council (or equivalent) and later the King, the harvest was distributed so that everyone could reach Spring without going hungry. In ancient times, the land belonged to the group, not the individual, and it was the elected representatives who organised the sharing.
Sharing was the fundamental bond of Celtic society, in which personal enrichment was considered a perversion. We offer Mother Earth the fruits of our harvest in gratitude for her blessings. It's a time for taking stock of our material wealth, in which all those around us, our family and friends, take part...
Lugnasad is a festival of sharing, friendship and generosity.
It's the ideal day to do a meditation that combines the energies of the sun and water, to create harmony between the masculine and feminine energies in our lives. It's a day to contemplate the wonders of nature, to express our gratitude for all the natural abundance that exists on earth and to remind ourselves of our power of wonder. It's a day to celebrate the culmination of life, when nature is alive, vibrant and abundant. It's a day to enjoy the sunshine and share a meal with friends and family. Happy Lugnasad!
Sources: College Nemet Ana /Anaïs & Jean-Baptiste
