Lammas Day 1776 at the Log Home and Our Own Great Awakening

"We tend to underestimate just how different the world of 250 years ago was.  They lived in a fundamentally different time with fundamentally different assumptions about the world."

I am not certain where this quote came from,  but I do like its descriptive analogy.  Sadly,  as I have mentioned previously,  too many people who call themselves historians  (and an over-abundance of arm-chair historians)  tend to throw presentism  into the conversation.  Presentism  "is the practice of judging historical figures  (and the past in general)  by the moral and ethical standards of the present day."  

Yep---that is exactly what many who should know better do~~

-OOO-

Though I wrote and explained about the Lammas Day holiday  HERE,  we really didn't start celebrating it at the cabin as a proper holiday until August 2023,  making this year of 2026 our fourth celebration.

Here is our Lammas Day group - August 1st

So let's talk a little about the specialness of this day:

August begins with Lammas Day  (or Loaf Mass Day)

Many colonial farmers celebrated this agricultural holiday  (or holyday,  as these special days of celebration or worshiping were called)  on August 1st,  which marked the first major harvest of the beginning fall season.  In fact,  before the names  "fall"  and  "autumn"  became common,  the season between summer and winter was just simply called  "harvest".   This was because it was the time of year when crops were gathered,  or  "harvested".   Think about it:  even in our modern day,  if you have a backyard garden,  your tomatoes,  cucumbers,  green beans,  and numerous other vegetables are coming in as August progresses.

You are harvesting.

So,  even though it is still technically summer,  it only makes sense that August was considered one of the months of harvest time.  And a cause for celebration.  As such,  in centuries past,  Lammas Day was a sort of  Thanksgiving,  giving thanks for a bountiful growing season,  and so it remained for many  families on the British Isles and some colonials here in America,  especially if one was from the Church of England,  Episcopalian,  Catholic,  and even Lutheran.  

On a colonial-era Lammas Day,  it was customary for the head of the household to bring to church,  for a blessing by the priest or minister,  the first loaf of bread made from the recent summer wheat crop,  which was harvested in July. 

July harvested wheat.

With this year of 2026 being our nation's 250th birthday,  I have been much busier than usual presenting and going to more reenactments than usual,  therefore making it nearly impossible to travel to Waterloo to work in the kitchen garden,  which did not happen very often at all.  Previous years my wife and I worked in our garden there every week to two weeks.  This year,  hardly not at all.  What does this mean?  It means our garden was overgrown with weeds.

sigh

But we all try our best and do what we can when we are able.

Charlotte prepares a few garden-grown vegetables.

Lammas Day itself,  August 1st,  falls at the halfway point between the June summer solstice and the autumn equinox in later September.  That bless'd loaf of bread,  baked with flour from the July-harvested wheat or corn,  was then used as the center of the family’s Lammas Thanksgiving feast.  It's one of the oldest points of contact between the agricultural world and the Church.  

Jackie punches down her  "Thirded Bread" -- a traditional New England rustic loaf made from equal parts cornmeal,  rye,  and wheat flour,  hence its name.

To make their sometimes scarce and expensive wheat flour last,  18th century farmers often combined it with hardier local grains like rye and indigenous cornmeal  (often called  "Indian meal").  

I very much appreciate the good folks who run the Waterloo Farm Museum for allowing us to recreate farm life in the 18th century.

By the way,  according to Medieval Historian Ian Mortimer,  it was by religious festivals such as Lammas Day  (and Candlemas and Rogation Sunday)  that villagers told the passing of time,  especially in the Middle Ages  (click HERE for historical Candlemas information).  Events would be dated by their coincidence with - or proximity to - a particular saint's day or festival.  Few in the Medieval period knew the exact year according to the Christian chronology,  and even literate men & women living in the manor houses looked at the passing of time in terms of the monarch's reign.  Until the later 1300s,  the hours of the day were calculated by the position of the sun or sundial on the church tower.  Of course,  ideas and inventions took much longer to spread in those long ago days,  and minor developments were added over the decades and centuries.  

Because the seasonal tasks were the same every year,  and because only a major event,  such as a plague epidemic,  a drought,  or the death of a monarch or a family member,  for example,  would distinguish any one year from all the others,  the perception in the passing of time meant little to most people.  

So Lammas Day was one such religious festival or celebration that helped to mark the passing of time.

For Lammas Day itself a few of us ventured out to the cabin at the Waterloo Farm Museum to join together in a harvest celebration.  The day was on the warm and muggy side.  We even had a light shower in the early afternoon.  Luckily,  most of the outdoor work we planned to do took place earlier in the day,  including my wife,  Patty,  and cabin cohort Charlotte spending time in the garden,  while Brian and I spent time threshing wheat and then winnowing.

One of the first things I did was to set up the canvas tarp to thresh the wheat.
Here you also see my wife,  Patty,  and Charlotte out in the garden in the way background.

On August 3 in around 1805,  Noah Blake wrote:

"Very warm.  The harvest fly was two days late."

The  'harvest fly'  is what we call the cicada.  It's supposed to make its first appearance on Lammas Day,  but the year of Blake's diary,  1805,  it decided to come a bit later,  it seems.

I,  myself,  hear the loud evening buzzing of the harvest fly/cicada every August  (though many years,  including this year,  it actually arrives in mid-to-late July around my Michigan area).

The continuation of work in the fields seemed non-stop,  from harvesting the early crops to watering those not yet ready as well as preparing what has already been harvested.

Threshing time!
This is the age before the threshing machine.

In the book Farmer Boy,  written by Laura Ingalls Wilder about her husband,  Almanzo's early life,  his father,  James Wilder,  calls the modern mechanical threshing machine  "a lazy man's way to thresh",  famously stating,  "Haste makes waste,  but a lazy man'd rather get his work done fast than do it himself."

Brian joined me in threshing the wheat.
It always helps to have another to work with.

This was a hot and muggy day,  and the sweat just poured out of us.  My clothing was soaked!  But we kept on doing the job as long as we could.  

Threshing does not separate all of the wheat berries,  so we did the few left over by hand.

Winnowing the wheat that was threshed.

Farmers would scoop up the threshed mixture of grain and chaff and toss it into the air,  often using a winnowing basket or a shovel.  The wind would carry away the lighter chaff,  while the heavier grain - wheat berries - fell back down,  ideally into the basket. 

Brian winnowed as well.

Methinks we'd be starving had this been our yield back in 1776.
However,  had this actually been 1776,  we would actually be living in a cabin and caring for all of our vegetables on a daily basis.
No worries - next year will be much better---similar to last year.

Patty removed her wet shoes - it had rained recently and the ground was wet.

I helped Patty shuck the corn.

The following in italics came from THIS site:

When most people think of corn,  sweet corn comes to mind—the fresh corn on the cob we like to boil or grill and slather with butter.  However,  of the over 90 million acres of corn planted in the US,  sweet corn makes up less than 1% of the total crop.  The rest is starchy and dry field corn,  which is mostly used to feed cows.

Though corn was originally cultivated over 9,000 years ago in what is now Mexico,  sweet corn wasn’t cultivated until the mid-1700s.  And it's this mid-18th century sweet corn that we had with our Lammas meal.

So...what's Brian doing with the corn husks here?  wonders Norm.

Oh!
Here ya go-------

Speaking of corn...Brian got a little corny himself.
Either that or  "we were so poor that we couldn’t afford a proper scarecrow so we take turns in the family doing this!" 

Charlotte chopping up onions.

Theresa experiencing 18th century cabin life with us for the first time.

After years of cajoling,  I finally got Theresa to come out with us and take part.
I think she's glad she did.  I know we  are. 

Norm gave us a sermon,  but not just any sermon,  but one - a prayer - written by George Whitefield.  Earlier this year,  a movie was released called  "A Great Awakening"  about the relationship Whitefield had with Benjamin Franklin.

Plot summary italicized  (from Wikipedia):

"Benjamin Franklin,  at the time of the Constitutional Convention,  reminisces about his life and his long friendship with George Whitefield.  The two had met when Whitefield preached in Philadelphia,  and Franklin was astonished how far Whitefield's voice could carry.  Whitefield partnered with Franklin in publishing many of his sermons.  All of this resulted in one of the most defining moments in American history - a great religious awakening.

The last time they were together,  Whitefield made a strong appeal to Franklin to trust in Jesus Christ for salvation.  Franklin as a deist did not accept the divinity of Christ in that moment.  But as he remembers Whitefield's words in 1789,  he does turn to God in Christ and then goes on to call the Constitutional Convention to pray to God.  Franklin's speech to the Convention promoting prayer is described in Concordia University's reconstruction of the Convention's daily debates."

This did happen.  Historical religious revivals known as Great Awakenings actually happened, specifically the First Great Awakening in the Britannica 1730s–1740s,  which is what this movie mostly centers on.

We were honored - blessed - to hear one of George Whitefield's prayers,  as said by Norm.

We listened intently as Preacher Norm read an original George Whitefield prayer.
This meant a lot to us - Norm really went all out more than usual,  which was wonderful.

People today have little idea what religion was like in the 18th century and how many have changed somewhat drastically over the years.  

As a good example,  in the 1770s,  Congregationalism in the US was originally Puritan and held tightly to orthodox Calvinism,  Puritan roots,  and a strict view of original sin and divine sovereignty.

However,  here in 2026,  they mostly align with mainline Protestant liberalism like the United Church of Christ (UCC),  emphasizing social justice,  inclusivity,  and open theology.

So if you find yourself researching the  "faith of our ancestral fathers,"  make sure to study the church of their time,  not of our time.  It can make a big difference.

We at the cabin proctice mostly a denomination of Lutheran.

A roaring fire in the hearth,  burning into baking coals.

I love that we bring 18th century cabin life to life.

When we do our cabin living scenario for the public,  visitors absolutely love seeing hearth cooking,  and are always surprised to find out that we will eat the food being cooked.

Like we're going to throw it out??

I simply love how we all just go at our jobs - how we all know just what to do.
And those who may not,  dive in and learn.

Chopping wood into kindling.

Theresa knows her way around the hearth and helped with cooking.

There's the bread Jackie made for Lammas Day.
I believe it needed a bit more baking time.

The ladies all helped,  whether in a small or large way,  to prepare the food.
At the cabin,  everyone has a part,  whether working in the garden,  preparing and cooking the meal,  or anything else that may need doing.

Jackie's thirded bread turned out perfect!
Lammas Day is based around bread!

Our Lammas Day/Harvest meal dinner is almost ready~~

I know I repeat myself,  but enjoying a meal cooked on the hearth - there's nothing like it!

I very much enjoy our dinners together.
Oftentimes our vegetables are directly from our garden.

The harvest meal the ladies cooked was sooo good!
From the top we have pickled beets,  then green corn  (called sweet corn in our modern tongue),  beef and barley with vegetables stew poured on top pf fresh-baked bread,  with a choice of switchel or cider to drink.   

For dessert we enjoyed a shortbread Lemon-Blueberry Crumble.

Theresa reading Norm's 1733 New Testament bible made by James Moore.

Sweeping the floor and porch.

Farmer Brian and Preacher Norm~

Norm always gives a wonderful sermon and blessing.

Patty enjoyed hearing Norm preach from the porch.

My wife Patty and I.
Wearing our work clothing,  we don't mind the dirt to give them that more authentic look.

Soon,  the rains came.

As I mentioned earlier in this post,  our time out at the cabin for Lammas day 2026/1776 was Theresa's first time out with us.  She seemed to very much enjoy it,  as you shall read below,  for the following was written by her:

Today was one of those rare days that settles deep into your soul. 🤎

I had the incredible privilege of spending the day with some of my dearest friends and fellow living historians at the little cabin in Waterloo Farm.   Together,  we stepped away from the noise of the twenty-first century and simply... lived. 

Not as soldiers.  Not as spectators.

But as ordinary American civilians in the year 1776.

The fire crackled while bread baked in the hearth.   A hearty pot of beef barley stew simmered away as jars of pickled vegetables made their way around the table.  I contributed a lemon blueberry shortbread tart,  and we toasted one another with apple cider and refreshing molasses switchel. 

The hours drifted by the way they once did centuries ago.

We tended the garden.  We threshed wheat by hand.  We stitched garments one careful seam at a time.  We lingered around the table, sharing stories,  laughter,  and the simple gift of one another's company. 🤎

Today we celebrated Lammas Day—the beginning of the first harvest. 

Long before grocery stores and calendars filled with appointments,  this was a season to pause... to gather the first fruits of the field,  to give thanks,  and to remember where every good gift truly comes from. ✝️🤍

So together we prayed,  blessed the meal before us,  and thanked Abba for His abundant provision—for the harvests of the earth,  for faithful hands willing to labor,  and for friendships that nourish the heart just as surely as bread nourishes the body. 🙏🤎

As I looked around that humble cabin,  daylight glinting across hand-hewn logs,  friends knitting by the open door,  bowls of cheese and dried berries being passed around the table,  I couldn't help but think...

This is why I love living history.

Not because it's about escaping the present.

But because it reminds us of the things that have always mattered.  Faith.  Fellowship.  Hard work.  Gratitude.  Family.  A shared meal.  A song.  A prayer before supper. 

These moments have a way of slowing time and reminding me that perhaps we've never really needed quite as much as we think we do.

Just good food.  Good friends.  A grateful heart.  And the goodness of God. 🤍

It was a sweet day of fellowship that I know I'll carry with me for a very long time.

Happy Lammas,  friends.  May your own harvests—whether from the garden,  your work,  your family,  or your faith—be richly blessed. 

If I could've written it any better,  I would have.  But Theresa wrote it perfect.

The cabin crew August 1776/2026

Until next time,  see you in time.

This past mid-July,  for my first time I was able to experience harvesting wheat as a colonial!  Click HERE to see how it went.

HERE is a history about Lammas Day

Click HERE to learn more about life on an 18th century farm

Click HERE to learn more about ancient farming

Here's our documentation of our time in the past.

To see posts about our other colonial cabin excursions,  please click any of the links below:

~To read about our 2020  autumn harvest excursion - our first time at the cabin - click HERE

~To read about our 2021 wintertime excursion at the cabin - click HERE

~To read about our 2021 springtime excursion at the cabin - click HERE

~To read about our 2021 summertime excursion at the cabin - click HERE

~To read about our 2021 summer harvesting of the flax at the cabin - click HERE

~To read about our 2021 autumn excursion - click HERE

~To read about our 2022 winter excursion at the cabin - please click HERE

~To read about our 2022 spring excursion at the cabin - please click HERE

~To read about our 2022 summer excursion at the cabin - please click HERE

~To read about our 2022 autumn excursion at the cabin  (Pioneer Day) - please click HERE

~To read about our 2023 winter excursion at the cabin  (Candlemas) - please click HERE

~To read about our 2023 spring excursion at the cabin  (Rogation Sunday) - please click HERE

~To read about our 2023 late spring at the cabin - click HERE

~To read about the 2023 early summer - please click HERE

~To read about the 2023 summer  (Lammas Day) - please click HERE

~To read about the 2023 autumn Pioneer Day - please click HERE

~To read about our 2023 Thanksgiving harvest celebration - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 Winter experience at the cabin - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 spring excursion at the cabin - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 late spring with just Patty & I - click HERE 

~To read about our 2024 summer  (Lammas Day) - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 mid-and-late-summer - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 mid-September - click HERE

~To read about our 2024 autumn Pioneer Day Celebration - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 Thanksgiving Harvest - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 Christmas at the Farm Cabin presentation - please click HERE

~To read about our 2025 winter & Candlemas Day - please click HERE

~To read about our 2025 spring/early May Rogation Sunday excursion - please click HERE

~To read about our 2025 Memorial Day/Late May visit,  please click HERE

~To read about our 2025 (Lammas Day)  Celebration,  please click HERE

~To read about our 2025 September visit with my grandson experiencing living history,  click HERE

~To read about our 2025 Pioneer Day event,  please click HERE

~To read about our 2025 Harvest Thanksgiving Celebration  (including my grandson!),  click HERE  

~To read about our 2025 Colonial Christmas Celebration/Christmas at the Farm  click HERE

~To read about our 2026 Early March/Late Wintertime at the cabin,  please click HERE

~To read about our 2026 Early April - time spent with Grandchildren at the cabin  (you will need to scroll a bit),  please click HERE

~To read about our 2026 Springtime in 1776 - Grandkids again,  plus planting our crop and the blessing of our food source,  please click HERE

~To read about our 2026 Summer/June cabin excursion,  please click HERE

So...adding this current visit,  that makes 39 days spent in the 18th century at this cabin.

And,  God willing,  these adventures will continue for a long time to come.

God's Blessing be upon you all~~~

I would like to thank the photographers.  Everyone who was at the cabin shared their images with me for use in my blog post here:
Brian,  Charlotte,  Jackie,  Norm,  Patty,  Theresa

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~