The Harvest Festival a celebration of graces that comes from pagan times

An offering for the harvest

Offering to thank the harvest

The harvest festival is a celebration of Thank you spread all over the world. Its origins go back to the time when the human being became sedentary and began to practice agriculture. With it, he thanked his gods that the earth gave him food.

The telluric relationship between Man and the fruits of Nature is found in the essence of our species and it transcends the very collection of those tributes from the land and the food that they provide us to acquire an almost religious dimension or at least mysticism.

Brief history of the harvest festival

The ancient Egyptians gave thanks to Osiris for the good grape harvests, according to the engravings of the time. The custom moved to tracksuit, where parties were organized in honor of D and later to Roma, where the god happened to be called Worm. In fact, the Latinos also celebrated other harvest festivals such as the Cereals, to thank Ceres the grain it provided.

During the Middle Ages that tradition continued to be practiced among the peasants. However, it lost part of its validity. The reason is that many agricultural fields were cultivated in the monasteries and the clergymen, as you will understand, were not very given to great playful expressions, although they were grateful to divinity the fruits obtained.

However, the tradition remained. Even with the arrival of Renacimiento and vitalism greatly intensified. And it has never ceased to be celebrated in each and every one of the peoples of the world to this day. If you visit any village at harvest time, you will see how they celebrate that moment in style to thank the products received.

Grain Festival

Grain Festival in Czech Republic

The harvest festival, a celebration of thanks all over the world

In fact, some of the most important festivals that are celebrated in the different nations of our planet have their origin in the harvest festival. For example in Iran is celebrated mehgan, a festival dating back to the times of ancient Persian Empire and that celebrates both the arrival of autumn and the harvest.

For its part, in the India they have festivities like Makara sankranti to thank what was received through the land. But the most popular festivals that have their origin in those of the harvest are the ones that we are going to explain to you and that, surely, will be familiar to you.

Thanksgiving Day

It is one of the national holidays in United States, Canada and even in some Caribbean Islands. Although all scholars agree that its origins were harvest celebration, they are not clear about its true beginning. Some say that it was taken from the festivities organized by the Spanish in the current Florida for this reason, while others point out that it was started by English settlers in the seventeenth century.

In any case, as you may already know, on the fourth Thursday in November the families of those countries gather around the table to enjoy a stuffed and roasted turkey during dinner accompanied by pumpkin pie. In America it is a holiday and the chain of stores Macy's organizes a Big parade on the streets of Manhattan. Also, the next day, Americans start the Christmas shopping season. Is he Black Friday.

Thanksgiving, the German harvest festival

According to the folklorist Alois Doring, German Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving It has its closest origins in the Christian tradition of appreciation for the crops. However, the remote ones would take us to the same Rome and Greece, of which we were telling you.

An Erntedank festival

Erntedank Festival

In Germany churches are decorated with vegetables, fruits, cereals and other products obtained from the land, as well as food prepared with them, for example, bread or honey. And markets are also organized for the benefit of the underprivileged.

It takes place on the last Sunday of September or the first of October and Germans also gather as a family to celebrate it. The menu they relish may also include turkey or other meats. But the usual thing is to take precisely the stew of Thanksgiving, a hearty stew that has green beans, potatoes, kale, leek, carrot, onion and pork. And, to accompany it, a wheat bread and a pumpkin cream with chestnuts.

El sukkot Jew

The Israelis also have their harvest festival. Is he sukkot and it is also done to remember the vicissitudes of the people of Israel in their biblical journey through the desert after fleeing from Egypt. It takes place between September 15 and 22 and is also known as Feast of Tabernacles or Cabins because originally, it was commemorated by spending a few days in a sukka or temporary abode.

In this case, more than eating, products are blessed. Is the call blessing of the four species, which includes palm, myrtle, citrus and willow. All this to commemorate one of the main festivals of Judaism.

Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival

It is one of the most important harvest festivals in the world because in addition to the Chinese, it is also celebrated by the Japanese, what do they call it tsukimi; The korean, who call it Chuseok, and the vietnamese. But it is more important in the first of these countries, to the point that it can be considered its most relevant celebration after the New Year.

The Makara Sankranti

Makara sankranti

It takes place on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the Han calendar, which in ours is the month of September. It is also known as the moon Festival because the ancient emperors worshiped the star to thank the harvests. In fact, even today families gather to contemplate the moon and even prepare the so-called moon cake. In addition, parades and other activities take place.

In conclusion, the harvest festival, a thanks celebration that comes from pagan times, continues to have in full force today, either as gratitude for the goods obtained from the land, or as a festive inheritance from our ancestors.


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