Lughnasadh
Thu, Aug 01
|All Day
Lughnasadh, celebrated annually on August 1, is a Gaelic festival observed by the Irish, Scottish, Manx, Celtic neopagans, and Wiccans to mark the start of the harvest season. ‘Lugh,’ a mythical Irish god, is said to have created Lughnasadh to honor his foster mother ‘Tailtiu.’
Time & Location
Aug 01, 2024, 12:00 AM
All Day
About the event
Lughnasadh’ comes from ‘Lugh,’ an Irish god, and ‘nasad,’ which means ‘assembly.’ In Irish mythology, Lugh created Lughnasadh as a funeral feast and athletic competition in honor of his mother ‘Tailtiu,’ who died of exhaustion after clearing the plains of Ireland in preparation for farming. Lugh, a prominent mythical Irish god, is often portrayed as a warrior, king, master craftsman, and savior.
“The Festival of Lughnasa,” written in 1962 by Máire MacNeill, gives a comprehensive account of Lughnasadh folklore in ancient times. Its theme is a struggle for the harvest between Lugh and Crom Dubh, another mythical god who stores the grain, which Lugh seizes for humanity. Often, this is portrayed as a struggle for ‘Eithne,’ a woman who symbolizes the grain. Also, Lugh combats and destroys another figure representing blight. ‘Óenach Tailten’ or ‘Aonach Tailteann’ was a ceremony held during Lughnasadh in commemoration of Tailtiu. Sporting contests that were…