Grianstad an tSamhraidh
(Summer Solstice)
On Grianstad an tSamhraidh, the longest day of the year, the community gathers to celebrate. A bonfire is lit at dusk. Songs are sung, stories are told, and offerings are made.
The people walk around the bonfire with livestock to purify and protect them. The fire and smoke from the bonfire represent a symbolic cleansing. Ashes from the fire are spread among the fields to bless the crops.
Source: The Irish Pagan School
