Monday 3 August 2009

Thoughts on Lammas

Well, here's our Lammas Loaf for this year:


And very tasty it was too. But I have been having contradictory thoughts on Lammas this year. The closer we get to the earth and the more of our own produce we grow, the less I 'feel' Lammas - at least on the set date anyway. I feel the spirit of Lammas every time I pick another courgette, make more jam, use another of our homegrown and strung onions, but I can't feel Lammas on 31st July because that is tied to the wheat harvest and we don't grow our own wheat. Obviously, it's good to remember that the wheat we eat is grown and harvested, albeit by other people, I can't feel Lammas as anything other than a reminder at the moment. My heart is with our own crops and the constant harvesting and preservation of those crops.
I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on Lammas, especially as regards their own crop-growing.

4 comments:

arwen_tiw said...

Do you know that is exactly why we didn't make a Lammas loaf this year yet? It just doesn't feel real when our own harvests began weeks ago...

Claire said...

With you both on this one. It is a continual thank you from June through to October/ November time.

Unknown said...

That is a fantastic loaf Liz, you are so talented!

I haven't really heard of Lammas before, so have no thoughts either way though can say we have been harvesting our soft fruits for weeks so I appreciate what you are saying - it seems a little out of synch.

Evans family said...

I really know what you mean about Lammas, It is the only festival / celebration that we have sort of struggled to remember, maybe, like you say, its because it is tied with the harvesting of wheat, which like you, we dont grow ;-)
And Yes, we have harvesting going on from Summer solstice to Yule...BB