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Lughnasa: The Irish Festival Celebrating the First Fruits of Fall

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Summer is in full swing, with no real sign of autumn approaching, so it seems a strange time for a harvest festival. But Lughnasa, which is generally considered to be on August 1st, is the festival of the first fruits. In Ireland, bilberries, aka blueberries, are ripening, so the first Sunday in August is also known in some circles as Bilberry Sunday.

A pair of hands holding a handful of freshly picked blueberries

Lughnasa is a cross-quarter festival – one of the four celebrated at the halfway point between two solar events. This gave them eight significant holidays: Winter Solstice, Imbolc, Spring Equinox, Beltane, Summer Solstice, Lughnasa, Autumn Equinox and Samhain. The cross-quarter festivals are traditionally fire festivals, celebrated with huge bonfires, athletic competitions and of course, enjoying the fruits of the first harvest.

on wooden table in garden, abstract natural background

Many of the most popular Irish gifts carry the echo of these festivals. One way we know how important these solar events were to our ancestors is the remaining structures they built to celebrate the changing position of the sun. Newgrange is a famous example. Today, access to the chamber on the Winter Solstice is awarded by lottery, and the winners can see what our ancestors experienced when the sun hits at precisely the right angle to illuminate the inner chamber. The intricate carvings inside and outside this astonishing UNESCO World Heritage site now appear on Celtic jewelry, pottery and other Irish gifts, celebrating our unbreakable connection to our roots.

Wild Irish Hedgerow Autumn Basket

Belleek Pottery | Wild Irish Hedgerow Autumn Basket

Who Was Lugh?

The name Lughnasa comes from the Celtic god Lugh, an ancestor of Cú Chulainn. He is associated, not surprisingly, with fire and harvests. He was known for being magnificently gifted at all types of arts and crafts and other skills. Lugh was the only triplet to survive being thrown in the ocean by his grandfather Balor because a prophecy predicted he would be killed by his grandson. (Spoiler alert, it came true.) Balor threw his daughter, the mother of the triplets, into the sea with them and she died too. Lugh was raised by his stepmother Tailtiu, who died after clearing fields. He originally set aside the day to honor her.

Woman climbing Croagh Patrick mountain in Ireland

Lughnasa evolved over time, and like a beloved sitcom inspired many spin-offs. The Puck Fair in County Kerry is one of the most famous, and Reek Sunday, the day when people climb Croagh Patrick, is believed to have started as a Christian counter to the pagan festival.

The day also reached the silver screen when Brian Friel’s play Dancing at Lughnasa was made into a Hollywood film starring Meryl Streep.

2 men in their forties prepare a barbecue for friends gathered around a table in the garden in late summer or early fall

If you need an excuse to fire up the barbeque, Lughnasa is the perfect occasion. Fire and food is what the day is about, and if you feel inclined to kick a ball around or play Frisbee, your Irish ancestors would approve. And if you have a stepmother, it’s the perfect day to show her some appreciation, perhaps with Irish gifts. That would be perfectly in keeping with Lugh’s original idea to honor Tailtiu with an early harvest festival.

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