SC - Lammas

[Christine A Seelye-King]

>I believe Puck Fair is held the same day in another part of Ireland. 
The date I gave (1606) would be the date that the faire got it's original
charter.  (Was made official by the government, in this case I'd guess
James I?)
>The date also coincides with Lughnasa, so I'm curious about linguistic 
>connections. My dictionary says it celebrates the first wheat harvest
>each year in the British Isles, and adds that as a Roman Catholic feast
>day (hence the "-mas" at the end of the name) it celebrates the >release
of St. Peter from some prison.

Well, I don't know about the Peter connection, but here is the entire
entry for August 1st from my book. ("366 Days of Celebrations, or, A Year
Full of Reasons to Throw a Party")

AUGUST 1
<Lughnasadh (Lunasa, Lammas)> - Celtic - A 30 day agrarian celebration
with this feast at it's center.  Before the harvest can begin, the greedy
Fomorian earth-spirits must be persuaded to relinquish the fruits of the
soil to human use.  It is the great god Lugh (or Lleu) who accomplishes
this, since he is kin to both the gods of the tribe and the giants of the
earth.  He dies, is resurrected, and gains the victory over the
Fomorians. This long festival season is marked by riutals to ensure a
successful harvest, pageants to commemorate the story of Lugh, and
various communal pastimes - horse races, sporting events, fairs, that
bring together the scattered households and reinforce the identity of the
tribe. 
<Oul' Lammas Fair> (1606) Ballycastle, Northern Ireland - One of the
oldest traditional Irish Fairs, with music, dancing, and donkey trading. 
The weather at Lammas is said to pressage the weather for the rest  of
the harvest season.  
<Kalends of August> - Ancient Rome - August was named for Augustus
Caesar. It was originally called Sextilus, the 6th month after March. 
The month was sacred to the *lares compitales* - the Lords of the
Crossroads. 
<Druids of Gaul recognize Roman authority in exchange for Religious
Toleration> (18 BCE) 
<St. Faith, St. Hope, and St. Charity's Feast Days >(120) Three sisters,
aged 12, 10, & 9; martyrs. 
<St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguri's Feast Day> (1787) Patron Saint of Moral
Theologians. Founded Redemptionist Order.


> By the way, by Irish custom, there is a Lughnasa practice that I find
>to be one of the most civilized I have ever encountered: what amounts
>to a toast with food. You're supposed to take the first bite of your
>Colcannon, a dish made with potatoes, cabbage or kale, and leeks or
>scallions, and say, preferably in Gaelic, "Death to the Red Hag!", who
>is the personification of Hunger.
>
>I've seen less worthy toasts...
>
>Adamantius

That's very neat, I like that one.  I will have to add it to the list of
ways to celebrate!
	Christianna

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