Lammas

Lammas

Infobox Holiday
holiday_name = Lammas
also known as Lambess
type = Historical
longtype = Cultural


caption =
observedby = England
Scotland
date = 1 August
celebrations = Handfasting
Funeral Games
observances = Loaves made from the grain collected at harvest.
relatedto = LughnasadhIn some English-speaking countries in the Northern Hemisphere, August 1 is Lammas Day (loaf-mass day), the festival of the first wheat harvest of the year. On this day it was customary to bring to church a loaf made from the new crop. In many parts of England, tenants were bound to present freshly harvested wheat to their landlords on or before the first day of August. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, where it is referred to regularly, it is called "the feast of first fruits". The blessing of new fruits was performed annually in both the Eastern and Western Churches on the first, or the sixth, of August. The Sacramentary of Pope Gregory I (d. 604) specifies the sixth.Fact|date=March 2007

In mediæval times the feast was known as the "Gule of August", but the meaning of "gule" is unknown. Ronald Hutton suggests that it may be an Anglicisation of "gŵyl aust", the Welsh name for August 1 meaning "feast of August", but this is not certain. If so, this points to a pre-Christian origin for Lammas among the Anglo-Saxons and a link to the Gaelic festival of Lughnasadh. 'Gule' could also come from 'Geohhol' (Old English form of 'jule') and thus Lammas Day was the 'Jule of August'.Fact|date=March 2007

There are several historical references to it being known as Lambess eve, such as 'Publications of the Scottish Historical Society' 1964 and this alternate name is the origin of the Lambess surname, just as Hallowmass and Christmas were also adopted as familial titles.

People in the Southern Hemisphere that celebrate Lammas do so February 1, to reflect the 6 month offset of seasons on the other side of the planet.

Neopaganism

Lammas is a neopagan holiday, being a cross-quarter holiday between the Summer Solstice (Litha) and Fall Equinox (Mabon). It is opposite Candlemas or Imbolc, in early February. Lammas takes place with the Sun near the midpoint of Leo. Candlemas takes place with the Sun near the midpoint of Aquarius.

Other uses

Lammas is one of the Scottish quarter days.

References

* "The Stations of the Sun", Ronald Hutton, Oxford 1996
* (1.3.19),"Romeo and Juliet", William Shakespeare, "Come Lammas-eve at night shall she [Juliet] be fourteen."
* 'Publications of the Scottish Historical Society' 1964

ee also

*Harvest festival
*Harvest Home
*Ould Lammas Fair
*Leyton Marshes

External links

* [http://www.pretanicworld.com/Calendar.html Pretanic World] Pre-Christian Holidays & Pre-Christian Traditions of Christian Holidays from Britain and Ireland
* [http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/Gule+of+August Gule of August]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=t1wOAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA189&lpg=PA189&dq=Gule+of+August&source=web&ots=wRJ7xCQ45_&sig=s3TvzeXo2C19NhMgsuQi26k2gsI&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result Observations on Popular Antiquities]


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  • Lammas — Lam mas, n. [AS. hl[=a]mmesse, hl[=a]fm[ae]sse, loaf mass, bread feast, or feast of first fruits; hl[=a]f loaf + m[ae]sse mass. See {Loaf}, and {Mass} religious service.] The first day of August; called also {Lammas day}, and {Lammastide}. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lammas — (also Lammas Day) ► NOUN ▪ the first day of August, formerly observed as harvest festival. ORIGIN Old English, loaf mass …   English terms dictionary

  • Lammas — [lam′əs] n. [ME lammasse < OE hlammæsse, for hlafmæsse, lit., loaf mass, bread feast: see LOAF1 & MASS1] 1. a harvest festival formerly held in England on Aug. 1, when bread baked from the first crop of wheat was consecrated at Mass 2. this… …   English World dictionary

  • Lammas — a Scottish term day, formerly 1 August, now the 28th. See quarter day. Collins dictionary of law. W. J. Stewart. 2001 …   Law dictionary

  • Lammas — Aug. 1 harvest festival with consecration of loaves, O.E. hlafmæsse, lit. loaf mass, from hlaf (see LOAF (Cf. loaf) (n.)) + mæsse (see MASS (Cf. mass) (n.2)). Altered by influence of lamb (and occasionally spelled lamb in 16c. 17c.) …   Etymology dictionary

  • Lammas — This unusual name, found mainly in the eastern counties of England, is of Anglo Saxon origin, and is a locational surname deriving from either the village of Lamas or Lammas in Norfolk, near Norwich, or from Lamersh, near Sudbury in Essex. Both… …   Surnames reference

  • Lammas — noun Etymology: Middle English Lammasse, from Old English hlāfmæsse, from hlāf loaf, bread + mæsse mass; from the fact that formerly loaves from the first ripe grain were consecrated on this day Date: before 12th century 1. August 1 originally… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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  • Lammas — /lam euhs/, n. 1. a former festival in England, held on August 1, in which bread made from the first harvest of corn was blessed. 2. a festival (Feast of St. Peter s Chains) observed by Roman Catholics on August 1, in memory of St. Peter s… …   Universalium

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