The Furious Spinner

Today is Lughnasa Eve, when many people celebrate the first harvest festival, Lughnasa, or a feast for Lugh, one of the gods of the Tuatha De Danann. This celebration may have originally been a wake for the goddess Tailte, who died from exhaustion after clearing a forest for cultivation. (Is that a warning against clearcutting—it'll kill even a goddess?) When the church got a hold of the festival, it became known as Lammas, or loaf mass—this is a festival that celebrates the harvest, in particular the grain harvests (and first fruits). As with most Pagan festivals, Lughnasa is still around today in another form. All around the United States, communities hold their county fairs at this time of year. There are contests of strength and agility, as well as contests to see who made the best pie or grew the best zucchini. It is a time for the community to gather together and celebrate their harvests—all very similar to Lughnasa celebrations.

Today, Mario and I are celebrating by having a group of people over for the first Big River Slow Supper Salon. These are the questions we're using to start off our conversation over a resplendent dinner table: Is there value today in communal celebrations? If so, why don't Americans do it? Or do we? Europe has a cafe culture. Americans generally don't gather to discuss things. Why? Is it to our detriment? Can modern people find value in ancient celebrations? Or do we still celebrate these holidays today but in a different form? (August fairs) Do we really have any sense of community in the U.S.?

If you have opinions about any of these, drop me a line (and let me know if it's OK to publish).

I'll let you know how it goes. 0 comments

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