One of the quarterly festivals that marked the turning of the seasons, Lughnasa takes place on 30th July/1st August. This festival commemorates Lugh, a pagan god of the mythical Tuatha Dé Danann. In modern Irish, the month of August is named after the festival (Lúnasa).
Though much of the world celebrates St. Valentine’s Day as a festival of romance, the Celtic world traditionally favoured Lughnasa. As well as celebrating the beginning of the harvest, Lughnasa is traditionally associated with courting rituals. Many of these involved picking whortleberries (wild blueberries, also known as huckleberries or fraocháin in Irish). Picking fraocháin was an opportunity for young men and women to socialise in an innocent and enjoyable way. If a young girl wanted to show affection, she would bake these fraocháin into a cake which she would then present to her chosen beau.
Here are some Irish expressions to use with the one you love this Lughnasa.
Tá grá agam duit. ‘I love you.’
Nach bhfuil súile deasa agat! ‘What lovely eyes you have!’
An bhfuil tú pósta? ‘Are you married?’
An féidir liom póg a thabhairt duit? ‘Can I give you a kiss?’
An rachaidh tú amach liom? ‘Will you go out with me?’
Ar mhaith leat damhsa? ‘Would you like to dance?’
An gceannóidh mé deoch duit? ‘Will I buy you a drink?’
Is tusa mo rún. ‘You are my darling.’
Is túsa grá (geal) mo chroí. ‘You are the (bright) love of my heart.’
An bpósfaidh tú mé? ‘Will you marry me?’
A stór, is tusa cuisle mo chroí. ‘My love, you are the pulse of my heart.’
Image courtesy of Wikimedia.
