Lughnasadh (redirected from Lugnasadh)

Lughnasadh

August 1 or a nearby Sunday

The Lughnasadh was a pre-Christian festival in Ireland associated with the ancient Celtic god Lugh. Occurring at the beginning of the harvest season, the Lughnasadh was a time for gathering berries and other early fruits of the season. Many of the hilltop sites where people came to pick berries were later taken over by the Roman Catholic Church and turned into pilgrimage sites. This is the case in County Mayo, where on the last Sunday in July thousands of pilgrims still climb to the summit of "the Reek," or Croagh Patrick, Ireland's holiest mountain. That day is known as Reek Sunday, and a series of masses are held in a small oratory on the top of Croagh Patrick. This is where St. Patrick is said to have spent the 40 days of Lent, and it was from this mountaintop that he is said to have driven all the venomous serpents into the ocean, thus explaining why there are no snakes in Ireland. Lughnasadh was also a popular time to hold fairs. Today it is observed by many Neopagan groups.
See also Crom Dubh Sunday; St. Patrick's Day; Tailte Fair

SOURCES:
DictFolkMyth-1984, pp. 202, 652
FestSaintDays-1915, p. 165
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 485
OxYear-1999, p. 274