breaking bread

Lammas Day celebrated every August 1 is the first of three autumn harvest festivals that falls between summer solstice and autumn equinox. It is known as Loaf Mass Day to Christians and Lughnasadh which is the name used for one of the eight sabbats in the Neopagan Wheel of the Year. 

The other two harvest festivals are Mabon and Samhain. Lammas was historically a festival that celebrated the first wheat harvest of the year.

Lunar Lammas 2023

It was a time of gratitude and celebration for the abundance of the land and the fruits of agricultural labor. Communities would come together to harvest the crops and bake the first loaves of bread using the newly harvested grain.

These loaves were often offered as a symbolic representation of the harvest’s bounty - blessed in ceremonies held at local churches.

There is a deeper spiritual significance to Lammas beyond its agricultural aspect. It was seen as a time of transition - marking the beginning of the harvest season and the gradual shift towards autumn.

rustic olive bread

It was believed that the God - representing masculine energy of the harvest began to decline in power. While the Goddess - embodying the feminine energy of the Earth started her descent into the underworld.

This cycle symbolized the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth. In Celtic mythology, Lammas is associated with the god Lugh - God of light, skill, and craftsmanship. Lughnasadh was a time to honor his skills and talents as well as celebrate the harvest.

Games, athletic competitions, and performances were held to showcase various skills and talents, paying tribute to the god of light and the harvest’s abundance.

rainbow after a summer thunderstorm - New York City

During the pandemic quarantine - as we contemplated the physical distance between us and our loved ones - wonder | wander | women also meditated on the distance between us and our food. 

In our blood and bones food is inextricably woven into our agricultural practice and culture - impacting all aspects of our lives. Celebrations of all kinds are punctuated by communal feasts and fiestas. 

Food so precious, so savored, it is eaten with our hands, not with utensils. Eating is a sensory immersion stimulating our touch and spirit connection to each other as much as satisfying our smell and taste. 

golden buttery brioche

How could we reclaim this after years of denying ourselves this birthright? Food is so deeply symbolic on so many levels. A physical manifestation of our cultures, our histories, our desires to connect and nourish people. It is very closely tied to our cultural practice - our values and our traditions. 

Serving food to our dearly departed is customary in our culture. We light incense and kneel before our ancestral altars. we normally did this at our grandparents' house with the rest of our family. 

Moving abroad and living on our own meant doing it alone which felt different. Yet we invite our dearly departed to come to eat. We apologize for not feeding them sooner, more regularly, or generously. 

dawn breaking over New York City

Preparing our meals in this manner brings a closer understanding of the nourishment in food beyond mere consumption. Inside each dish, within its chosen ingredients, resides connection, nostalgia, joy, deep nourishment, and maybe even regret and grief. 

A dish can open a portal to our past, to the parts of us long neglected, revealing invisible bonds that tether us to loved ones, the past, and our lineage throughout time and distance. 

It is an ever present gateway we can readily access and cross through as we break bread together. May our life's harvest be bountiful and fulfilling. A blessed feast to all! 

assorted Challa bread