Lammas

The feast day of Lammas takes place on August 1. The word Lammas derives from the Anglo Saxon “hlaf-mas” which means “loaf mass”. The mass was held to celebrate the wheat harvest, the first harvest of the year  It was traditional to bring to church a loaf of bread made from the new crop which began being harvested at Lammastide.  The Anglo Saxon refers to Lammas as the “feast of first fruits” , although this can also be celebrated on August 6 which is the Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ. Although it was incorporated in Christian rites, the festival of Lammas probably dates much further back into pagan times, and the loaves made to celebrate Lammas have magical associations. For instance, an Anglo-Saxon book of charms instructs that the blessed loaf be divided into four and each piece is put at the corner of the barn to protect the harvest. In the past, Lammas also coincided with the Feast of St Peter in Chains