August 1st

  AUGUST

The Emperor Octavian, called the August,
    I being his favorite, bestowed his name
Upon me, and I hold it still in trust,
    In memory of him and of his fame.
I am the Virgin, and my vestal flame
    Burns less intensely than the Lion's rage;
Sheaves are my only garlands, and I claim
    The golden Harvests as my heritage.

from The Poets Calendar by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Illustration from The Illuminated Book of Days by Eugene Grasset

Today is Lammas, the 1st of August was one of the Celts 'cross quarter' days. The dates that fall between the solstices and equinoxes that were used to mark the agricultural year. Lammas or Loaf-Mass marks the wheat harvest. In early Christian  days a loaf of bread made from the new crop would be brought to church to be blessed.

Dry August and warm

Doth harvest no harm.

 This year the harvest was going well with tractors and full grain trailers passing all the time but then came the last two weeks of July with rain on and off and it's all gone quiet again in the fields.

 Looking back at what I'd written for previous  1st August posts and came across this, which I'd forgotten - but the bit about making the most of our time while we are here is a good thing to remember...............Apparently I found this in one of the old Folklore diaries.

The act of sacrifice at harvest is a reminder that we all follow the same path of life and death and reminds us to make the most of our time whilst we are here. Consider the passing of the summer and enjoy the bounties it has brought us and think how best to prepare for the coming autumn and winter.

It was an important day in the country, as land which had been harvested could be made available for village people to graze their animals. It was once a public holiday when fairs were held.

 Perhaps that was why the first Monday in August was a holiday for years until it was moved to the end of the month. 

I decided to find out more........................ and discovered ..............

1. Prior to 1834, the Bank of England observed approx. 33 saint’s days or religious festivals and took them as holiday.
2. Bank holidays were first introduced by the Bank Holidays Act of 1871 and reduced public holidays to 4 days (Easter Monday, 1st Monday in August, Boxing Day and Whit Monday).
3. The act was introduced by Sir John Lubbock, the 1st Lord and Baron Avebury, (30th April, 1834-28th May, 1913), English banker, politician, naturalist and archaeologist.
4. The 1871 Act was repealed 100 years later and its provisions incorporated into the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, which remains the statutory basis for bank holidays.
5. Bank holidays designated since the 1971 Act are appointed each year by Royal Proclamation.

 (Much of this post has been on previous August 1st posts from several years ago, hopefully long forgotten by everyone! )

Back Soon

 Apologies for not replying to yesterdays comments - had a long morning out and then a busy afternoon.