Lammas, Lughnasadh: Ancient harvest festival marked by Pagans, Christians, more

August 01, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Lammas loaf of bread

Photo by Emily Carlin, courtesy of Flickr

THURSDAY, AUGUST 1: With August officially underway, and as grains turn golden in the fields, Christians and Pagans (and many others from areas of England, Ireland and Scotland) mark the feast of Lammas. An ancient festival of the wheat harvest, Lammas—or Lughnasadh—has long been called “the feast of first fruits.” In England and in some English-speaking countries, August 1 is “Lammas Day”; historically, it was customary to bring a loaf of bread made from the new wheat crop to the church for a blessing.

Did you know? The Anglo-Saxon version of Lammas, or “loaf-mass,” refers to the practice of bringing a loaf of freshly baked bread to one’s local church for blessing.

It is the joyful simplicity of gratitude for the change in seasons—from a season of planting to a season of harvest—that marks today’s occasion. Lughnasadh customs were commonplace until the 20th century, though evidence of ongoing tradition is seen in the popular Puck Fair of County Kerry and Christian pilgrimages. Throughout Ireland’s history, significant mountains and hills were climbed at Lughnasadh; the custom was brought into Christianity when Christian pilgrimages were undertaken near August 1. The most well-known pilgrimage of this type is Reek Sunday, a trek to the top of Croagh Patrick in County Mayo in late July that continues to draw tens of thousands of Christian pilgrims each year.

For Christians, Lammas has been a time for blessing loaves made of fresh wheat. In time, Christians also created a version of the Scottish Highland Quarter Cake for Lammas, which bore Christian symbols on the top. (Catholic Culture has a recipe.)

In the Neopagan and Wiccan faiths, Lughnasadh is one of eight sabbats and is the first of three harvest festivals. Ancient Celtic myth describes a god of sun, of light and brightness: He is Lugh, the deity for whom Lughnasadh is named. Ever mirthful, Lugh is honored alongside his foster mother, Tailtiu, who is said to be responsible for introducing agriculture to Ireland. The story of Lughnasadh is one of the cycle of life, of the harvesting of grains and crops, and of one season’s fruits dropping seeds for the next. Today, common foods on the table at Lughnasadh are apples, grains, breads and berries.

Watch a video of traditional Morris dancing, in Oxford, at this YouTube link.

Interested in making a Lammas loaf? Try a recipe from Recipes for a Pagan Soul.

Tammuz 17 and the Three Weeks: Jews enter period of mourning for Temples, history

July 19, 2024 by Leave a Comment

A Jewish person praying at the Western Wall. Photo by Israeltourism, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

TUESDAY, JULY 23: A multi-week period of solemnity begins for Jews around the world today, in a tradition that begins on Tammuz 17 and continues into what is known as “the Three Weeks.” Beginning on the 17th of the month of Tammuz and ending on Tisha B’Av, Jews lament the destruction of the First and Second Temples and the historical misfortunes of the Jewish people. Each day is met with a higher degree of lamentation than the last (with the exception of Shabbat). There is also great hope, however, in this time of sadness: As the past and present are examined, Jews look to the future.

Did you know? The Western Wall is the only remains of the retaining wall surrounding the Temple Mount, the site of the First and Second Temples of Jerusalem.

During the Three Weeks, observant Jews refrain from holding weddings, listening to music, celebrating in public, embarking on trips, having hair cut or shaved, and wearing new clothing. A fast is undertaken on the 17th of Tammuz and on the Ninth of Av. (For guides, stories, multimedia and more, visit Chabad.org.) The period is known as “within the straits,” from the Book of Lamentations.

Did you know? The 17th of Tammuz marks the day when the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Romans, in 69 CE.

According to traditional texts: The Three Weeks encompasses the days when the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Romans and both Temples were destroyed. The holy Temple that had stood in Jerusalem for 830 years was destroyed. This is also a period when Jews recall Moses breaking the original Ten Commandments.

During this three-week period, Jews try to increase good deeds and charitable works, while intensifying Torah study.

Bob Marley feature film adds to awareness of Rastafari celebration of Haile Selassie

July 23, 2024 by Leave a Comment

TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2024—Critics were divided in their reviews of the 2024 feature film Bob Marley: One Love, but there is no question: Millions of moviegoers around the world are freshly aware of Marley’s remarkable life, his stirring music and his devotion to Halie Selassie through Marley’s own participation in the Jamaican Rastafari religious movement.

So, this summer, we are likely to see more public awareness of Selassie’s birthday on July 23, 1892. This would have been his 132nd birthday. (To learn more about the movie, which continues to circulate via streaming, DVD and Bluray, here is a link to Edward McNulty’s review.)

Rastafari around the world—estimated to number 700,000 to 1 million—hold Nyabingi drumming sessions to remember Haile Selassie I as God incarnate. (Note: The belief that Selassie is God incarnate is not universally held; some Rastas regard Selassie as a messenger of God.)

TAFARI MAKONNEN: FROM MUD HUT TO PALACE

Beginnings were meager for this emperor-to-be, born in a mud hut in Ethiopia. Selassie—originally named Tafari Makonnen—was a governor’s son, assuming the throne of Ethiopia in a complex struggle for succession. The nation’s leaders favored Tafari for the role of emperor—and, in 1930, he was crowned. Selassie would become Ethiopia’s last emperor.

Years prior to Haile Selassie’s enthronement, American black-nationalist leader Marcus Garvey began preaching of a coming messiah who would lead the peoples of Africa, and the African diaspora, into freedom. When news of Selassie’s coronation reached Jamaica, it became evident to some that Selassie was this foretold messiah. Beyond the prophesies in the book of Revelation and New Testament that Rastafari point to as proof of Selassie’s status, the emperor also could trace his lineage back to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Rastafari pointed to Selassie as the Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David and the King of Kings.

Did you know? The Rastafari receive their name from the combination of Ras—an honorific title, meaning “head”—and Tafari, part of Selassie’s birth name.

Selassie remained a lifelong Christian, but never reproached the Rastafari for their beliefs in him as the returned messiah.

 

Ullambana / Obon: Ancient Japanese festival honors culture, tradition, and ancestors

July 15, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Obon festival

Celebrating Obon. Photo by Mark Shigenaga, courtesy of KOHO SF

MID-JULY through MID-AUGUST: A festival of ancient dances, intricate costumes and a celebration of Japanese culture commences, as the spirit of Obon circles the globe. Worldwide, this festival spans an entire month: “Shichigatsu Bon,” celebrated in Eastern Japan, begins in mid-July; “Hachigatsu Bon” commences in August; “Kyu Bon,” or “Old Bon,” is observed annually on the 15th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar.

2024 update: Outside of Japan, southern California holds a massive number of Obon celebrations. Find more information here about how to attend one. Despite the loss of its temples and to mark one year since the wildfires in Hawaii, Maui will host a series of events this summer, including its beloved Obon festival (read more here). As various churches hold their Bon Odori (Bon dance) for Obon, many of the annual dances will be playing a new tune for 2024: in honor of the Buddhist Churches of America’s 125th anniversary, a team of artists created “Lantern Song,” a new Bon Odori song and dance. Read the full story, and then listen to and watch ‘Lantern Song,’ here.

ANCESTORS AND HOUSEHOLD ALTARS

Dancers and singers at the Obon Festival in Japantown, San Jose, California. Photo by Pmlydon, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Born of Buddhist tradition and the Japanese custom of honoring the spirits of ancestors, Obon is a time for homecomings, visiting family gravesites, dances, storytelling and decorating household altars. Light cotton kimonos, carnival rides and games and festival foods are common at during this season. Obon has been a Japanese tradition for more than 500 years.

STORYTELLING & A DISCIPLE OF BUDDHA

“Obon,” from Sanskrit’s “Ullambana,” suggests great suffering, as the full term translates into “hanging upside down.” Bon-Odori—and the Buddhist legend it stems from—recall a disciple of Buddha who used supernatural abilities to look upon his deceased mother. When the disciple saw that his mother had fallen into the Realm of Hungry Ghosts and was suffering, he asked Buddha how he could help her. The disciple made offerings to Buddhist monks who had just completed their summer retreat and, soon after, saw his mother released from the Realm of Hungry Ghosts. With his new-found insight, the disciple suddenly saw the true nature of his mother—her selflessness, and the sacrifices she had made for him—and with extra joy, he danced what is now the Bon-Odori. (Get a Buddhist perspective here.) A primary purpose of Obon is to ease the suffering of deceased loved ones while expressing joy for the sacrifices loved ones have made.

The official dance of Obon, though it follows a universal pattern, differs in many details by region. Music and steps typically reflect a region’s history, culture and livelihood. In addition, some regions incorporate items such as fans, small towels or wooden clappers into the dance, while others do not. Nonetheless, everyone is welcome to join in the Bon-Odori dance.

When the festival draws to a close, paper lanterns are illuminated and then floated down rivers, symbolizing the ancestors’ return to the world of the dead (Toro Nagashi).

OBON AROUND THE WORLD

Outside of Japan, the festivities of Obon resonate (though primarily virtually, this year) through Brazil—home to the largest Japanese population outside of Japan—as well as in Argentina, Korea, the United States and Canada. In Brazil, street Odori dancing complements the Matsuri dance, and Taiko (drumming) and Shamisen contests are held. Buddhist temples host events throughout the United States, and in Hawaii and California, events are abundant.

Independence Day celebrations start this week, so plan your July 4 festivities early

July 04, 2024 by Leave a Comment

And, buckle up for record traffic on the nation’s highways

THURSDAY, JULY 4: Start planning your Independence Day festivities, now, because many communities nationwide are hosting events as early as this week! Among the earliest in the nation is Detroit’s enormous fireworks show along the Detroit River on Monday, June 24, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Plus, we already know that many highways will be jammed around July 4. The AAA annual travel forecast reports: “AAA projects 70.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Independence Day holiday travel period*. For the first time, AAA looked at the entire July 4th week, plus the Saturday before and the Sunday after the holiday. This year’s projected number of travelers for that time period is a 5% increase compared to 2023 and an 8% increase over 2019.”

And check any airline plans you’re making, too! Some major airports nationwide are urging travelers to show up early for flights on and around July 4 this year, because of the anticipated crowds.

MACY’S CELEBRATES JULY 4 ON NBC and Peacock: Just as Macy’s has branded Thanksgiving as an occasion for a colorful nationwide celebration, Macy’s also is branding July 4. This year, the 48th annual Macy’s 4th of July fireworks display will take place over the Hudson River. That’s a move that has New Jersey residents cheering, reports NBCNewYork: “For the first time in more than a decade, the annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks spectacle will be held on the Hudson River—giving New Jerseyans a front-row seat to the fireworks extravaganza that lights up the iconic New York City skyline. … New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy welcomed the news expressing his excitement to the location change from the East River to the Hudson River.”

Click on this thumbnail-sized copy of the Declaration to see it enlarged so you can read the text and the signers’ names.

THE DECLARATION: A HISTORY

With the fledgling battles of the Revolutionary War in April 1775, few colonists expected complete independence from Great Britain. Within a year, however, hostilities toward Great Britain were building and the desire for independence was growing, too. Thomas Paine’s 1776 pamphlet, “Common Sense,” fueled the unifying aspiration for independence.

In June 1776, the Continental Congress appointed a five-person committee to draft a formal statement that would vindicate the break with Great Britain: Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. Jefferson, considered the most articulate writer in the group, crafted the original draft. A total of 86 changes were made to the draft before its final adoption on July 4 by the Second Continental Congress. On July 5, 1776, official copies of the Declaration of Independence were distributed. (Learn more from History.com.)

One year following, in 1777, Philadelphia marked the Fourth of July with an official dinner, toasts, 13-gun salutes, music, parades, prayers and speeches. As the new nation faced challenges, celebrations fell out of favor during ensuing decades. It wasn’t until after the War of 1812 that printed copies of the Declaration of Independence again were widely circulated, and festivities marked America’s Independence Day. Congress declared July 4 a national holiday in 1870.

‘A CAPITOL FOURTH’ from D.C.

A salute of one gun for each U.S. states is fired on July 4 at noon by any capable military base, and in the evening, A Capitol Fourth—a free concert broadcast live by PBS, NPR and the American Forces Network—takes place on the Capitol lawn in Washington, D.C. For facts about the Declaration and more, visit USA.gov.

Who’s appearing this year? The band Chicago, Boyz II Men, Belinda Carlisle, Babyface, Renee Fleming—and many more.

Plus, PBS is offering lots of other helpful information, including:

AND MORE JULY 4 RECIPES

Nothing sets the stage for a summer party like the occasion of the Fourth of July! Dig up those red, white and blue decorations and recipes, and invite neighbors and friends over for a birthday bash for the nation.

From the perfect grilled steak to a fresh-fruit patriotic cake, here are some of the great links we’ve found for Independence Day: Martha Stewart, Food Network, Food & Wine, and Real Simple. HGTV offers last-minute snack ideas.

Or, stay indoors with a lineup of patriotic movies—Forbes offers a top-10 list of movies, including “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” “Johnny Tremain,” “Live Free or Die Hard” and “The Patriot.”

Juneteenth National Independence Day: America honors ‘Freedom Day’

June 19, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Juneteenth march

A Juneteenth celebration, 2021. Photo courtesy of Rawpixel, original public domain image from Flickr

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19: Gospel concerts, street fairs, ceremonies, and prayer services take place across the nation today, in celebration of the oldest known commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States: Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day.

June doesn’t mark the Emancipation Proclamation itself; instead, this holiday recalls the date, more than two years later, when slaves in Texas were finally freed and former Confederates were forced to recognize the Proclamation.

Did you know? Juneteenth officially became recognized as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed into law the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.

NEWS 2024: RED FOOD, BUSINESS HOURS & NEW SIGNIFICANCE

Food table at Juneteenth celebration

Food at a Juneteenth reception. Photo by Lisa Nottingham, courtesy of Flickr

With celebrity chef Carla Hall, CNN dives into why red food and drinks have become strong symbols on Juneteenth.

Are banks, the USPS, and places of business open on Juneteenth? USA Today has the details.

How has the meaning of Juneteenth changed in the last three years, since it became a federal holiday? AARP examines the story.

THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION & THE ROAD TO FREEDOM

Though slaves had been freed more than two years earlier, under President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, slaves in the deep South had felt minimum impact.With the surrender of General Lee in April 1865, Northern forces became strong enough to overcome resistance in the South.

On June 18, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops reached Galveston, Texas, to enforce emancipation. And on June 19, Granger read aloud the contents of “General Order No.3.” The Order read, in part:

“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with the Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer.”

In reaction to the news, men and women who had been enslaved danced in the streets. Some immediately left their former masters in search of freedom or to find family members. The next year, freedmen organized the first annual “Juneteenth” celebrations in Texas, using public parks, church grounds and newly purchased land for the jubilant parties.

Major institutions such as the Smithsonian and Henry Ford Museum have begun sponsoring Juneteenth activities, as have cities across the United States. In many areas, portions of General Order Number 3 are read, and celebrations often include both singing and public readings of the writings of noted African-American writers.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Find recipes fit for the day at Parade, the Washington Post, the New York Times and Betty Crocker.

Eid al-Adha: Muslims celebrate joyful ‘Greater Eid,’ the Feast of the Sacrifice

June 17, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Eid al-Adha prayers

Eid al-Adha prayers in the Maldives, 2023. Photo by the President’s Office of the Republic of Maldives, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

SUNSET SUNDAY, JUNE 16: Muslims worldwide commemorate Ibrahim (Abraham) and his complete willingness to make a sacrifice during Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice. The events of this joyful festival last between one and four days, although in some regions, festivities carry on much longer.

IN THE NEWS: CNN offers a thoughtful article for 2024: ‘What this holiday of sacrifice teaches us about mindfulness.’ Read it here.

On the morning of Eid, crowds spill out of mosques, into open fields and in parks around the world, as Muslims celebrate both Ibrahim’s devotion and the miracle that took place on the sacrificial altar. Officially, Eid al-Adha begins after the descent of Mount Arafat by the pilgrims on Hajj in Mecca; Muslims across the globe gather with family and friends and offer prayers in congregation.

THE MIRACLE AT THE ALTAR

Two joyous religious holidays are observed by all Muslims each year: Eid al-Fitr, ending the fasting month of Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha.

On the morning of Eid al-Adha, Muslims dress in their finest clothing and offer prayers in congregation. Following prayers, adherents exchange joyous greetings and give gifts (Eidi) to children. Visits are made, and even non-Muslims are invited to take part in the feasts and festivities.

According to Muslim tradition, when Ibrahim lowered his arm to slaughter his son, the Archangel Gabriel placed a ram on the altar in place of Ishmael. In commemoration, Muslims sacrifice an animal on Eid al-Adha, keeping one-third of the share; giving one-third to relatives and neighbors; and donating the remaining one-third to the poor.

THE ‘GREATER EID’                

Sometimes called the Greater Eid (the Lesser Eid, Eid ul-Fitr, occurs at the end of Ramadan), Eid al-Adha calls able Muslims to sacrifice a halal animal. By sharing, it is ensured that even the most impoverished person may celebrate Eid. The animal sacrifice—which must meet specific age and quality requirements—may be performed anytime before sunset on the final day of Eid. Families that do not own an animal to slaughter contribute to a charity that will provide meat for the needy.

It is Islamic custom to exchange joyful greetings, present gifts to children and visit with family and friends during this joyous time.