Lammas
Lammas (from Old English hlāfmæsse, "loaf-mass"), also known as Loaf Mass Day, is a Christian holiday celebrated in some English-speaking countries in the Northern Hemisphere on 1 August. The name originates from the word "loaf" in reference to bread and "Mass" in reference to the Eucharist. It is a festival in the liturgical calendar to mark the blessing of the First Fruits of harvest, with a loaf of bread being brought to the church for this purpose. Lammastide falls at the halfway point between the summer solstice and the autumn equinox. Christians also have church processions to bakeries, where those working therein are blessed by Christian clergy.
| Lammas Loaf Mass Day | |
|---|---|
Lammas loaf owl with salt eyes | |
| Observed by | Christians (Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans) |
| Type | Christian |
| Celebrations | Mass, church processions, First Fruits |
| Observances | Bringing a loaf of bread made from the new wheat crop to the church for a blessing, making loaves from the grain collected at harvest |
| Date | 1 August |
| Related to | Plough Sunday, Rogation days, Lughnasadh |
While Lammas is traditionally a Christian holy day, some neopagans have adopted the name and date for one of their harvest festivals in their Wheel of the Year. It is also the same date as the Gaelic harvest festival Lughnasadh.