The Feast of First Fruits is a festival celebrated in early August. It marks the beginning of the harvest season, particularly the first wheat harvest, and was a time of thanksgiving and feasting. The festival has its origins in both the Celtic festival of Lughnasadh, named after the god Lugh, and the Anglo-Saxon Lammas of “Loaf Mass.” The festival is one of the major seasonal festivals, known as “cross-quarter days,” along with All Hallows (Gaelic: Samhain), Oimelc (Imbolc), and Festival of Flowers (Beltane). It was a time to give thanks for the first fruits of the season, offering the first sheaves of the harvest as a token of gratitude and seeking blessings for the remaining crops.
With the spread of Christianity, the festival was adapted into the Christian calendar. Lammas, meaning “Loaf Mass,” was introduced as a Christianized version of the Feast of First Fruits. On Lammas Day, it was customary to bake a loaf of bread from the newly harvested wheat and bring it to church to be blessed. This bread was then used in the Eucharist, symbolizing gratitude for providing daily bread and God’s bounty. Families would bake loaves from the first harvested grain and bring them to church for blessing. This bread was often shared with family and friends to symbolize community and gratitude. Communities still gather for summer fairs and fetes, celebrating with music, dancing, and games. These gatherings reinforced social bonds and allowed people to share the fruits of their labor.
Beyond bread, other first fruits like early vegetables, berries, and flowers are also offered. The first sheaf of wheat was ceremoniously cut and often decorated or kept as a token of good fortune for the coming year.
The Feast of First Fruits is not just about the physical harvest but also has a profound spiritual significance. It represents the cycle of life and the interconnectedness of the community and the natural world. Without wheat and the other fruits of the land, we would not be. We acknowledge our interdependence with the land and the divine by giving thanks and sharing the first fruits.
Honoring the First Fruits of the Harvest
Oh, flame of inspiration, burn bright within us
Ignite our minds with thy sacred fire
Illuminate the path of wisdom ahead
Guide us out of the darkness.
As we enter this time of harvest,
Grant us the gift of understanding.
May we reap the fruits of our labor
And gain insight into the mysteries of life.
With thy fiery energy, inspire us.
To continue the work before us.
May we be moved through thy benevolence
To create and to grow in the light of knowledge.
Oh, flame of inspiration, we honor thee
And we welcome thy presence into our circle
May thine light guide us always
And may we continue to grow in thine wisdom.*
*Except from Breeding Devils in Chaos: The United Rite by Sven Davisson