Editing Lughnasadh (section)

===Neopaganism===
Lughnasadh, or similar festivities based on it, is observed by some [[Modern Paganism|modern Pagans]] in general and [[Celtic neopaganism|Celtic neopagans]] in particular. Despite their common name, such Lughnasadh celebrations can differ widely. Some attempt to emulate the historic festival as much as possible,<ref name="Gallagher">{{Cite book |last1=Gallagher |first1=Eugene V. |title=Introduction to new and alternative religions in America |last2=Ashcraft |first2=W. Michael |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=2006 |isbn=0-275-98713-2 |location=[[Westport, Connecticut]] |page=178}}</ref> while others (such as [[Wicca]]ns) base their celebrations on various festivals, the Gaelic festival being only one of them.<ref name="Adler1">{{Cite book |last=Adler |first=Margot |title=Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today |publisher=Beacon Press |year=1979 |isbn=0-8070-3237-9 |location=[[Boston]] |page=397}} – Excerpts from Manhattan Pagan Way Beltane ritual script, 1978</ref><ref name="McColman1">{{Cite book |last=McColman |first=Carl |title=Complete Idiot's Guide to Celtic Wisdom |publisher=Alpha Press |year=2003 |isbn=0-02-864417-4 |page=51}}</ref>

Neopagans usually celebrate Lughnasadh on 1 August in the Northern Hemisphere and 1 February in the Southern Hemisphere, often beginning their festivities at sunset the evening before.<ref name="SpiralDance">{{Cite book |last=Starhawk |url=https://archive.org/details/spiraldancerebir00star |title=The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess |publisher=Harper and Row |year=1989 |isbn=0-06-250814-8 |edition=Revised |pages=[https://archive.org/details/spiraldancerebir00star/page/191 191–2] |orig-year=1979 |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Drury |first=Nevill |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rwzttsI9-NwC&pg=PA63 |title=Handbook of Contemporary Paganism |publisher=[[Brill Publishers]] |year=2009 |isbn=9789004163737 |editor-last=Pizza |editor-first=Murphy |location=[[Leiden]], [[Netherlands]] |pages=63–67 |chapter=The Modern Magical Revival: Esbats and Sabbats |editor-last2=Lewis |editor-first2=James R}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Hume |first=Lynne |title=Witchcraft and Paganism in Australia |publisher=Melbourne University Press |year=1997 |isbn=9780522847826 |location=Melbourne}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Vos |first=Donna |title=Dancing Under an African Moon: Paganism and Wicca in South Africa |publisher=Zebra Press |year=2002 |isbn=9781868726530 |location=[[Cape Town]] |pages=79–86}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Bodsworth |first=Roxanne T. |title=Sunwyse: Celebrating the Sacred Wheel of the Year in Australia |publisher=Hihorse Publishing |year=2003 |isbn=9780909223038 |location=Victoria, Australia}}</ref> Some neopagans celebrate it at the astronomical midpoint between the summer solstice and autumn equinox, or the full moon nearest this point.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/seasons.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030304154421/http://archaeoastronomy.com/seasons.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=4 March 2003 |title=Equinoxes, Solstice, Cross Quarters shown as seasonal cusps, worshipped by pagans and later religious holidays |publisher=Archaeoastronomy.com |access-date=5 March 2013}}</ref> In 2022, this astronomical midpoint falls on 7 August (Northern hemisphere) or 4 February (Southern hemisphere).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.archaeoastronomy.com/2022.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706105725/http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/2022.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=6 July 2018 |title=2022 Equinox, Solstice & Cross-Quarter Moments |publisher=archaeoastronomy |access-date=8 July 2022}}</ref>

====Celtic Reconstructionist====
[[Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism|Celtic Reconstructionist pagans]] strive to [[Polytheistic reconstructionism|reconstruct]] [[ancient Celtic religion]]. Their practices are based on research and historical accounts,<ref name="Gallagher" /> but may be modified slightly to suit modern life. They avoid [[Religious syncretism|syncretic]] or [[Eclectic paganism|eclectic]] approaches that combine traditions from different cultures.<ref name="McColman2">McColman (2003) pp. 12, 51</ref>

Celtic Reconstructionists who follow Gaelic traditions tend to celebrate {{lang|ga|Lughnasadh|italic=no}} at the time of "first fruits", or on the full moon nearest this time. In the [[Northeastern United States]], this is often the time of the [[blueberry]] harvest, while in the [[Pacific Northwest]] the [[blackberries]] are often the festival fruit.<ref name="Danaher" /><ref name="McColman2" /> In Celtic Reconstructionism, {{lang|ga|Lughnasadh|italic=no}} is seen as a time to give thanks to the spirits and deities for the beginning of the harvest season, and to propitiate them with offerings and prayers not to harm the still-ripening crops. The god {{lang|ga|[[Lugh]]|italic=no}} is honoured by many at this time, and gentle rain on the day of the festival is seen as his presence and his bestowing of blessings. Many Celtic Reconstructionists also honour the goddess [[Tailtiu]] at {{lang|ga|Lughnasadh|italic=no}}, and may seek to keep the {{lang|ga|[[Cailleach]]an}} from damaging the crops, much in the way appeals are made to {{lang|ga|Lugh|italic=no}}.<ref name="Danaher" /><ref name="McColman2" /><ref name="Bonewits">{{Cite book |last=Bonewits |first=Isaac |title=Bonewits's Essential Guide to Druidism |publisher=Kensington Publishing Group |year=2006 |isbn=0-8065-2710-2 |location=New York |pages=186–7, 128–140}}</ref><ref name="McNeill2">{{Cite book |last=McNeill |first=F. Marian |title=The Silver Bough |publisher=William MacLellan |year=1957 |isbn=0-85335-161-9 |volume=1 |location=[[Glasgow]] |page=119}}</ref>

====Wicca====
[[Wicca]]ns use the names "Lughnasadh" or "[[Lammas]]" for the first of their autumn harvest festivals. It is one of the eight yearly "Sabbats" of their [[Wheel of the Year]], following Midsummer and preceding Mabon. It is seen as one of the two most auspicious times for [[handfasting (Neopaganism)|handfasting]], the other being at Beltane.<ref name="Farrar">{{Cite book |last=Farrar |first=Janet & Stewart |title=Eight Sabbats for Witches |publisher=Phoenix Publishing |year=198 |isbn=0-919345-26-3 |pages=102–3, 106}}</ref> Some Wiccans mark the holiday by baking a figure of the "corn god" in bread, and then symbolically sacrificing and eating it.<ref name="SpiralDance" />