On August 1, at the beginning of the harvest season, the Celts celebrated the festival of light Lugnasadh. Pronounced Luu-na-sah, it translates as "wedding of light".

According to mythology, Lugh, the Celtic god of the sun and light, created the festival to commemorate his foster mother, the fertility goddess Tailtiu, who sacrificed her life to the Irish people. To Lugh and other gods, on Lugnasadh, the first bread was sacrificed, baked from the first batch of grain, to ensure further good harvests. In Celtic mythology, a goddess in the form of a reaper performs the sacrifice.

The grain god is chased from ear to ear until he finally jumps into the last ear and prepares to die there. When the harvest is completed at the autumnal equinox, the life of the grain god also ends. As with Samhain, at Lugnasadh it is said to be possible for people to connect with the inhabitants of the Otherworld and Sid. The Celts began Lugnasdah with a slaughter feast, dancing, singing and lots of wine, competitions and a straw fire. On Lugnasdah, marriages were contracted and could be divorced after one year. In this way, the spouses were supposed to find out whether they were a good match. Since the Celts had a separation of property, neither party took any risks.

Even today, Lugnasadh festivals take place in many areas of Ireland, where corn dolls, which are supposed to symbolize the dying corn god, are sacrificed in a fire.

Our herb witch Sandra Südbeck will accompany you through the evening and make lavender sugar with you after dinner.