July 31-August 1
Today is Lughnasadh! Not to be confused with Lasagna Day. That was July 29.
Also known by its more Christian name, Lammas, aka “Loaf-mas”, Lughnasadh marked the time of year villagers would celebrate the first Harvest, on or around August 1, by baking and sharing bread from the first grain of the season.
Lughnasadh is a cross-quarter day—days that fall directly between equinoxes and solstices—the others being Imbolc (Candlemas), Beltane (May Day), and Samhain (Halloween).
The holiday would have been celebrated by the Celts starting at sundown (on the 31st) until the following day.
July 31 is also Harry Potter’s Birthday! Coincidence?
Today the ancient pagan tradition is carried on by wiccans and is becoming increasingly popular in neopaganism.