Celebrating Lammas and Freyfaxi with children is a joyous experience. However, raising pagan children can be challenging because there are not as many resources and events.
This article will list fun activities that you can celebrate as a family or within your pagan community as well as resources you can purchase or make.
Lammas and Freyfaxi are celebrations of the harvest. A time to honor and thank the gods/goddesses and celebrate this time of abundance. If you are new to paganism you will want to check out our article on CELEBRATING THE HARVEST: LAMMAS /LUGHNASADH/ FREYFAXI
Fun Games
Games have a special significance during Lammas because the death of Lúgh’s foster-mother, Tailtiu, is commemorated by the Lúnasa Games. (see my Litha article)
These games called the Tailteann Games began around 829 B.C. in Pre-Christian Ireland. They began as a way to honor the dead, and hold weddings, and regional public meetings. Both men and women participated.
Backyard Games
Some fun games that connect to the holiday and are familiar to many of us are horseshoes, footraces, and tug-of-war.
Rounders
If you have enough people you can play a game of Rounders (fyi we call this softball in America). Or just have fun pitching a ball to your children.
Hurling
Want to learn a sport played during the original Tailteann Games? Hurling is a ball and stick game that goes back 3000 years to Gaelic Ireland. You just need a grassy space with some H-shaped goals, a hurling stick and a ball called a sliotar.
The rules are not difficult but it’s a fast game that combines elements from modern baseball, lacrosse, and field hockey!
Lammas Activities For Families
There are lots of fun activities you can do to celebrate Lammas and Freyfaxi. Keep in mind that part of this activity is sharing the stories and the lessons that we get from them. (I’ve listed some books below)
When my children were young they loved to have an activity that related to a myth or that had an ancestor connection.
Take a Nature Walk
Connect with nature and go to a local park or conservancy. Bring some treasures back home for your family altar. However, remember to gather sustainably!
Corn Dolls
Corn husks dolls are fun and easy to make.
Express Gratitude and Share With Others
This is a great holiday to talk with your children about being thankful and expressing gratitude. Talk about what you are grateful for. (There are no wrong answers!)
Share with others:
Donate garden produce to a food pantry or help serve at a soup kitchen.
Horses were important to God’s Freyr and Logh. Donate to a horse sanctuary.
Visit an animal or farm sanctuary and get up close and personal.
Kids love kids!! Visit and support a local animal sanctuary or rescue. Thor will be happy.
Feasting
The harvest season is a lot of hard work. Grains especially have to be cut, winnowed, dried… before they can be ground in grains.
Help your children learn what goes into the growing of there food. Go to a local farmers market and talk to farmers about how they take care of and harvest the crops that they are selling. Local Harvest has a great website to help you find farmers.
After all the hard work it’s time to feast! Some great dishes that are perfect for a harvest feast:
Baking bread, rolls, or gingerbread people
Grilled corn
Stir fry veggies
Colcannon - a traditional Irish dish
Eat fresh picked berries
Pork chops and roast chicken
Spend some time cooking together. Learn Religions has some great Lammas recipes.
Below is a video I made of my Lammas Altar for this year.
Some Great Resources
Books
The Tale of John Barleycorn by Mary Azarian (for ages 9-12) has beautiful woodcut-style illustrations. Follows the ballad from the 1500’s telling about how barley is harvested and made into beer.
D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths by Ingri d'Aulaire and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire (all ages). This book is a classic! My boys loved this one when they were younger and still remember the glorious adventures of their favorite deities.
Tales from the Mabinogion by Gwyn Thomas (for ages 9-12) Welsh mythology. I have not personally read this one but it is often recommended. As with many myths the stories may be considered graphic. Use your parental judgment when purchasing.
Music
I am a big fan of Celtic Woman. They also have a YouTube channel.
Educational Materials
kidskonnect.com has a series called Lammas Facts & Worksheets. Information and some worksheets.
Author Ame Vanorio is the founder of CPH, a lifelong pagan, teacher and environmental educator.
Pick berries
Go to a farmers market
Support a horse rescue
Make a corn doll - (look for instructions)
Have a Popcorn Party!
Popcorn necklaces are a fun easy craft to do with children, and there are some yummy recipes online for seasonal flavored popcorn.
Grill Corn on the Cob outside!
This is a season to truly soak in the sun before the first days of fall draw near. Take advantage of the sunshine to cook outside.
The harvest season is here and we have three fabulous holidays to celebrate the bounty. August 1st is the “official” kick-off for Lammas or Lunasa, Lughnasadh, and Freyfaxi. All three center around the first harvest of the grains.
The purpose is to honor the parent gods/goddess of fertility and thank them for the abundance by offering first fruits (grains) and drinks from the harvested crops.