Lughnasadh: a simple home ritual with bread, gratitude and sharing

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The idea behind the ritual

Lughnasadh is the festival of the first harvest (see Lughnasadh: history and symbolism), and Lammas, its English name, is the “loaf mass”. This ritual is therefore simple: make a loaf, break it together, say thank you. It can also be done with a loaf bought from an artisan baker, if you do not have the time.

What you will need

For a simple loaf:

• 500 g of wheat flour (type 65 or 80),
• 10 g of fine salt,
• 1 sachet (7 g) of dried baker's yeast,
• about 320 ml of lukewarm water,
• a mixing bowl, a clean tea towel, a baking tray.

For the ritual: a tablecloth, a board, a small light, something to write with and, if you like, butter, honey, blueberries or summer fruit.

Step by step

1. Knead. Mix the flour, salt and yeast, add the water and knead for ten minutes until you have a soft dough. As you knead, think of everyone whose work made this bread possible: farmers, millers, drivers, shopkeepers.
2. Let it rise for an hour, covered with a tea towel, in a warm place.
3. Shape a ball or a plait, place it on a floured tray, and let it rise for another thirty minutes. Score the top with a sharp knife.
4. Bake at 220–230 °C for about thirty minutes: the loaf should sound hollow when tapped underneath. Let it cool a little.
5. Set the table. Place the bread on the board, with the light beside it.
6. Write three thanks: one person, one event of the summer, one small thing.
7. Break the bread with your hands rather than cutting it: each person takes a piece and passes it to their neighbour. Say a thank you before eating.
8. Share a summer meal (salad, tomatoes, fruit). Keep a piece of bread to offer to a neighbour or a loved one.

Variations

• With children. Make small breads shaped like animals or ears of wheat. With kitchen scissors, cut an “ear” into the dough before baking.
• Gluten-free or with allergies. Use a commercial gluten-free mix, or replace the bread with summer fruit and vegetables.
• With blueberries. In Irish folklore, blueberries were picked on the tops of the hills. Buy them, or only gather what you recognise with certainty.
• Wheat doll. If you have access to wheat straw, you can plait a small wheat doll, a tradition found in several European countries: keep it away from any flame.

Safety

Take care with the hot oven and the tray: use oven gloves and keep children away. Raw dough contains raw flour and yeast: do not taste it before baking. Check your guests' allergies before sharing. If you add a light:

• Never leave a lit candle unattended, and blow it out before leaving the room or going to bed.
• Place it on a stable, non-flammable surface, at least 30 cm away from anything that can burn (curtains, papers, branches, fabric), and nothing above the flame.
• Keep it out of reach of children and animals, who may knock it over.
• Extinguish it with a snuffer or by blowing gently; never use water on burning wax.
• If in doubt, replace the flame with a battery-operated candle: the ritual keeps all its meaning.

Common mistakes

• Adding too much flour while kneading: the bread becomes dense.
• Putting the loaf in the oven too early: the dough must have doubled in volume.
• Forgetting the salt.
• Not warning guests about possible allergies (gluten, seeds).

To go further

Place a dried ear of wheat or a small bunch of yellow flowers in a seasonal corner. Some people add a citrine or a tiger's eye as colour reminders. The Mabon ritual carries on the gratitude, at the equinox.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to The Wheel of the Year.