Post by Joanna on Jul 27, 2015 18:31:26 GMT -5
Heathen Celebrations of Late Summer/Early Fall
Heathen holidays can be confusing. There are a lot of them, they’re generally movable and have several different names in different languages. Coming from paganism with its handy Wheel of the Year, newer Heathens have a lot to sort through when deciding which holidays to celebrate. Hopefully this list will help can clear up late summer and autumn’s holy days and get you back into the spirit of celebration!
Lammas. This is the traditional celebration of the wheat harvest of England. Referenced several times in The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, its name comes from the word Hlaefmaest, which means literally the “loaf-feast.” Because its existence has been recorded, it has been held the first day of August, but there is some evidence it would have originally been celebrated on the full moon that marked the middle of the Anglo-Saxon lunar month Weodmonath. Celebrating this holiday traditionally involves wheat and the products of wheat: flour and bread. Baking and offering bread or cakes to your Gods, spirits and community is a fantastic way to get into the spirit of the holiday. It was called the “feast of first fruits” in ancient times – a time to celebrate the first gifts of the earth.
Freyfaxi. Freyfaxi is the holiday of first fruits in Asatru. It is named for a horse dedicated to Frey (in a rather complicated and tragic tale unrelated to the harvest). On this day, many recall the tale of Frey’s procession through the countryside in a wagon with a priestess at his side, blessing the fields and encouraging a good harvest. As the god of sunshine and rain, it is befitting to give thanks to Frey when the plants he nourished come to fruit. Freyfaxi is usually celebrated around August 1 in modern times, officially codified by the calendar of the Asatru Free Assembly in 1974. But like many heathen holidays, it is more appropriate to celebrate it at the at the time the harvest is beginning in your area. On this day, those of a more reconstructionist bent may celebrate by parading an icon of Frey around their fields or gardens. Others may choose to leave the first fruits of the harvest as an offering to their god.
Haustblot, Alfablot and other Local Holidays. These holidays are a bit more local, more personal and consequently, less fixed. Many heathens celebrate them around the time of the Autumnal equinox, but many living in warmer climes with earlier harvests will celebrate them earlier in the year. Haustblot and Alfablot are represented as very personal celebrations, in fact, the most information we have about them comes from the Austrfaravisr, wherein the narrator is turned away from several farmsteads, all celebrating their own sacrifice. Because this sacrifice would was so personal that it justified the denial of hospitality marks it as incredibly important. It is possible these holidays are so personal because they involve celebrating one’s immediate and local spirits – land wights for the farms and those dependent on the land and perhaps even house wights for those who are not as involved. A great way to celebrate would be a meal shared among family members with a place set and some left for the spirits of your house and yard.
Source: Molly Khan, Patheos, July 24, 2015.