Lùnastal

The festival of Lùnastal is celebrated by the clans to mark the beginning of harvest. Held on the first full moon of the month of August half way between the summer and autumn equinox. The clanfolk gather on nearby hilltops to hold the traditional ceremonies. 
To mark the of the beginning of harvest season the first fruits of the harvest are solemnly cut and brought by the people all decorated in flowers in a preseccion to the hilltop to be ritually buried as an offering to the god lugh and to mark the end of the summer. At this time the cattle and the horses are sained by herding them into the sea or a loch for a swim, it is thought this act blesses them and protects them for the coming winter. All that was important at this time of year was protected by blessings, invocations and offerings. Rawn crosses” (Rowan crosses) were made and placed with great secrecy above gates and over the front doors. This act is carried out at midday and whilst being carried out folk are forbade to speak to anyone and it was done without the knowledge of anyone. The sacred wells are visited and blessed for the continued pure waters, attendees pass around the well sunwise three times and leave an offering of a piece of cloth.
  Afterwards folk go about gathering fruits, and berries, bilberries especially and make a feast of them in which everyone must partake of. The youth are encouraged to do battle in faction fights, whereby the rivals set upon each other with sticks and fists and the winners march forth to the hilltop singing and the losers follow behind in silence. The culmination of the festival is held on the hilltop where a bull is sacrificed and made a meal of, the hide of this bull is put to use as a means of divination. The northern tribes are want to sacrifice a human, a slave or some criminal or other. afterwards the folk fall to much merryment, drinking, dancing, folk music, games and matchmaking, as well as athletic and sporting contests such as weight-throwing, hurling and horse racing.