The Celtic Holidays Community

Lgnasad

cahan — Thur, 11 Mar 2010 17:37:17 GMT

"Lgnasad is Old Irish, Lughnasadh is "unreformed" modern Irish, Lnasa is "reformed" modern Irish. In Gaelic, this festival is called Lnasda, Lnasdal, and Lunasduinn. O.Ir. Lgnasad means "Commemoration of Lugh." This Fis normally falls in early August. "

--- from "Holidays Introduction," by Crommn mac Nessa,
http://groups.msn.com/CromansGrove/holidayintro.msnw

Lgnasad (LOO-nass-AH) August 1. At Lughnasadh we give thanks to the Earth for its bounty and beauty. The ancient Celts played games and sports to honor the God Lugh and to celebrate strength and good health. This is a time to harvest the dreams planted earlier in the year. Lugh, the bright one, is a fire God and a prominent champion of the Tuatha de Danaan. Lughnasadh is a time for work, the harvest is at hand, and the long lazy days of summer are over. The work of the harvest takes the entire tribe working together. As an Order, it is working to ensure that goal plans are in the finishing stages and when rewards for hard labors are realized.

Lgnasad refers to the funeral games of Lugh (pronounced Loo). Lugh is the Irish sun god. The reference to the funeral games are not his own but the ones he hosts in honour of his foster-mother Tailte. For that reason, the traditional Tailtean craft fairs and Tailtean marriages (which last for a year and a day) are celebrated at this time.

Lgnasad originally coincided with the start of the harvest. It was known as the time when the plants of spring wither and drop their fruits or seeds for our use as well as to ensure future crops.

As Lgnasad begins, the Sun God enters his old age, but is not yet dead. The God symbolically loses some of his strength as the Sun rises farther in the South each day and the nights grow longer.

Lgnasad is the first of the harvest festivals. It also honours the God Lugh, a master of every art. Corn, wheat, barley and rye figure predominately in the festival when the harvest is distributed. Thanks are giving to the God and Goddess for the bounty. It is the beginning of the cycle of death.

A few things I want to discuss with you are:

What are the Symbols of Lgnasad?
What are the Herbs and flowers of Lgnasad?
What are the Foods of Lgnasad?
What are some of the Lgnasad Activities?
What are the Lgnasad Customs?

Forum: Fire Festivals

Beltaine

cahan — Thur, 11 Mar 2010 02:44:53 GMT

The word: Beltaine is Old Irish and Bealtaine is modern Irish. the name likely means "Fire of Belos." This Fis normally falls in early May.

--- Adapted from "Holidays Introduction," by Crommn mac Nessa,
http://groups.msn.com/CromansGrove/holidayintro.msnw

Bealtaine is an ancient Gaelic holiday celebrated around May 1^st. Historically, this festival was celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. Bealtaine survives in folkloric practices in the Celtic Nations and the diaspora, and has experienced a revival in recent decades. Beltaine has long been celebrated with feasts and rituals, and is a day to celebrate with song and dance. It is the second most important holy day, marking the light half of the year. Beltaine is a time to pray and give thanks to the fertility god and goddess to ensure a bountiful harvest in the fall. As summer begins, weather becomes warmer, the plants blossom, and an exuberant mood prevails. In old Celtic traditions it was a time marriages of a year and a day (Sainings) could be undertaken but it is rarely observed in that manner in modern times. Life is to be honored in its many forms. The God and Goddess are united in marriage. Ansestors are invited to join in the festivities.

Forum: Fire Festivals

Imbolg

cahan — Thur, 11 Mar 2010 02:16:42 GMT

"Imbolg or Imbolc, also sometimes called imelc, are the Goidelic names of the festival of the beginning of Spring. These names may be related to "ewes' milk" and/or "purification, cleansing, washing." "
--- from "Holidays Introduction," by Crommn mac Nessa,
http://groups.msn.com/CromansGrove/holidayintro.msnw

Imbolg, (pronounced "IM-bulk"), is the festival of the lactating sheep. Imbolg is celebrated either at the beginning of February or at the first local signs of spring, the traditional date is February first or second. For simplicity sake, we have set our timers for February first. It is derived from the Gaelic word "oimelc" which means "ewes milk". Herd animals have either given birth to the first offspring of the year or their wombs are swollen and the milk of life is flowing into their teats and udders. It is the time of Blessing of the seeds and consecration of agricultural tools. It marks the centre point of the dark half of the year. It is the festival of the Maiden, for from this day to March 21st; it is her season to prepare for growth and renewal. Brighid's snake emerges from the womb of the Earth Mother to test the weather, (the origin of Ground Hog Day).

"Thig an nathair as an toll
La donn Bride,
Ged robh tri traighean dh an t-sneachd
Air leachd an lair."

"The serpent will come from the hole
On the brown Day of Bride,
Though there should be three feet of snow
On the flat surface of the ground."

Carmichael, Alexander (1900) Carmina Gadelica:
Hymns and Incantations, Ortha Nan Gaidheal,
Volume I, p.169 The Sacred Texts Archive

A few things I want to discuss with you are:

What are the Symbols of Imbolg?
What are the Herbs and flowers of Imbolg?
What are the Foods of Imbolg?
What are some of the Imbolg Activities?
What are the Imbolg Customs?

Forum: Fire Festivals

Samain

cahan — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:18:12 GMT

"Samhain is modern Irish, Samain and Samuin are alternate spellings in Old Irish. ... Folk etymology derives Old Irish "Samuin" from "sm" + "fhuinn" ("summer" + "end"), but it's more likely to be "assembly, reunion, feast." ... This is the beginning of Winter, in the Celtic calendar. This Fis ("Festival") normally falls in early November."

--- from "Holidays Introduction," by Crommn mac Nessa,
http://groups.msn.com/CromansGrove/holidayintro.msnw

Celtic Heathens are not fearful of death, nor is it a terrifying time. Rather its a time of celebration, preparation, and planning for the spring. It's also a good time for family and clan bonding, the telling and retelling of old and new tales.

Samhain is not on October 31st, or November 1st. Rather, with the use of solar arithmetic, depending on the earths axis position, in relation to the sun, Samhain should fall on November 4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th. However, it more appropriately, falls in late October or Early November based on Solar/Lunar arithmetic. The veil betwixt our world and the land of, what some call the dead, thins for some time, as the three holy nights of Samhain approaches, and the veil thickens after Samhain

A few things I want to discuss with you are:

What are the Symbols of Samain?
What are the Herbs and flowers of Samain?
What are the Foods of Samain?
What are some of the Samain Activities?
What are the Samain Customs?

Forum: Fire Festivals