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Glite Dictionary
Lammas

Lammas

9.9
A festival on August 1 that marks the start of the harvest
  • noun
  • /ˈlæməs/
  • Archaic
translation icon : Lammas
  • Farmers brought loaves baked from new wheat to mark Lammas in the Middle Ages.

Examples

  • The villagers celebrated Lammas with a special church service and a communal feast.

  • In rural England, Lammas once served as an important division of the farming year.

  • Many people celebrate Lammas with feasts and gatherings.

  • Is Lammas your favorite festival?

  • In rural England, Lammas originally marked the beginning of the harvest season with festive celebrations.

  • Farmers brought loaves baked from new wheat to mark Lammas, a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages.

  • The villagers celebrated Lammas with a special church service, marking a time of thanksgiving for the harvest.

Synonyms

Lammas Day
vsLammas
  • Archaic
9.8

A festival on 1 August that marks the start of the harvest and was once a Christian celebration

is still celebrated today by some groups including modern Pagans

Compounds

Lammas Day
  • Archaic
9.8

A festival on 1 August that marks the start of the harvest and was once a Christian celebration

Surface Forms

Lammas singular
Lammasses plural

Morphology

Lammas = loaf + mass (opaque) = loaf + mass

Though historically a compound ('loaf' + 'mass'), the festival name's meaning is not predictable to learners from the parts and functions as a proper-name designation.

Etymology

Lammas comes from old English parts hlaf 'loaf' and mas 'mass'; people once brought loaves of the new wheat to church on August 1, so Lammas is a festival that marks the start of the harvest.