Y’know, it did rain on St Swithin’s day (15th July). According to superstition if it should rain on this day it will rain for 40 more days… so unfortunately we might be staring at another month of it here in the UK. Though I think I’d prefer it to the horrendous heatwave on the continent - if that’s you I hope you’re staying safe!
If you’re further afield, well hello there! I’d love to know how things are in your part of the world. Are you suffering from some kind of extreme weather or have you been lucky this year?
As mentioned in my letter yesterday, my monthly “here’s what’s happening this month” is now going to go out on the 1st of each month. This is to make sure I’m not missing a whole week sometimes due to the first Thursdays being any day from 1st-7th!
Lammas/Lughnasadh - 1st August
Today is a day on the Wheel of the Year which celebrates the first harvest of the year. Some sources say it’s time for the grain harvest while others say the first fruits - my assumption is it’s probably both.
The two most common names for this festival are Lammas, which comes from and old Christian/Anglo Saxon context which means “loaf mass.” People would bake bread from their first wheat harvest and have the loaf blessed in church. Lughnasadh (pronounced lu-na-sa) has celtic origins and was a time to celebrate the god Lugh where people would celebrate with games and offerings.
Nowerdays, observers of these festivals may blend the two together while others may prefer to call it one name. As an East Anglian in heritage for me personally I resonate more with Lammas and I like to use this time to think of my ancestral village and picture my ancestors celebrating the first harvests in the fields.
Various Farm-Based Visits (all month)
August is a fantastic month for outdoor, nature-based activities. Many farms all over the country open themselves for visits and seasonal spectaculars. Wherever you’re based see if you can find a lavender farm to frolic in, or a Pick-Your-Own fruit farm. Perhaps get lost in a Maize Maze or play hide and seek among the sunflower fields.
Not only do you have fun and get to celebrate the season, you also give the farm some more income which, in our current economic climate can only really be a good thing!
The Last Bank Holiday Monday of the Year (last Monday in August)
I should state this is for England anyway. Scotland and Northern Ireland seem to have seven hundred more bank hols than us and every first Sunday in August you hear lots of confused English people getting very excited because their google calendar has told them it’s a bank hol. Just Scotland at the beginning I’m afraid!
This is the last bank holiday Monday of the year, a signal that summer is drawing to an end. For some this may be a bittersweet feeling, they can feel the onset of winter drawing near and it worries them. For others they’re already there with their tartan blankets and pumpkin spice.
Whatever you’re planning to do, I hope you manage a picnic or a bbq with your nearest and dearest. My bank holiday this year will actually be spent stewarding the carpark at the end of Greenbelt Festival and then driving back to Bristol listening to the Classic FM Movie Music Hall of Fame countdown!
So that’s August! Let me know if there are any other events you’re planning to celebrate in your local area. Perhaps your town has an annual fete, or maybe you and your friends are off on a holiday together. I’d love to know what you’re looking forward to.
Happy August
Beth xxx
It’s stopped raining here in my corner of Yorkshire but am sure it’s just a pause. 😎 That sounds like a nice bank holiday as you meet lots of people too. We are mixing indoor and outdoor activities...weather depending 😜 Great piece.