Harvest Festival

The harvest festival is an annual celebration that occurs around the main harvest in the country. In the Uk this is in the Autumn. Harvest Festival is a celebration of the food grown on the land, the word Harvest comes from a old English word haerfest which means Autumn.

Thanksgiving ceremonies and celebrations for a successful harvest are held worldwide. In Britain, we have given thanks for successful harvests since pagan times. We celebrate this day by singing, praying and decorating our churches with baskets of fruit and food in a festival known as ‘Harvest Festival’, usually during the month of September or October. The tradition of celebrating Harvest Festival in churches began in 1843, when the Reverend Robert Hawker invited parishioners to a special thanksgiving service for the harvest at his church at Morwenstow in Cornwall.

 In North America, Canada and the USA they celebrate Thanksgiving in October and November. This is to remember that in 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations.

Harvest Festival reminds Christians of all the good things God gives them. This makes them want to share with others who are not so fortunate. In schools and in Churches, people bring food from home to a Harvest Festival Service.

Here at Chase Bridge we have collected lots of harvest donations which can be seen at the front of the school by the office.

How are you celebrating Harvest? Where is your favourite food harvested? Reply in the comments

Written by Millie 5B