Harvest Festivals, Thanksgiving

The harvest is the result of months of hard work. All through the Spring and Summer, agricultural workers labour, but as Autumn rolls in, the hay bales have been gathered, the wheat harvested, the fruit picked and the vegetables plucked from the earth. Golden cider flows from the presses, jams and preserves bubble hot and sticky in pots, and the cooling air is warmed by the scent of baking and cooking. These are the good times, just before the frigid, dark winter sets in, when the hard work of the summer is winding down, and food and drink are plentiful. It’s the perfect time for a festival, and a variety of traditions have developed around the world to celebrate the season’s hard work. 

In Japan, the Tsukimi (or Moon Viewing) festival is held under the full moon in the eighth month of the Japanese calendar (around late September). During this time, buttery roasted Japanese taro are made as Lunar offerings, and dango, chewy glutinous rice flour dumplings smothered in syrup or sweet red bean paste are eaten. Then for dinner, firm udon noodles are covered with a steaming broth and topped with nori seaweed and a gooey egg (the yolk symbolising the moon). As the moon rises, people compose poetry to read aloud to it in the hopes of a good harvest in the upcoming year.

In the nation of Georgia, Rtveli is celebrated in late September. Georgia is a highly fertile and mountainous country, and Georgians take their food and wine extremely seriously. On Rtveli, a supra, or feast, is held, during which an absolutely huge spread is shared by a large group of family, friends and neighbours. Their exquisite wine (almost always locally made) is poured into red earthenware bowls, and a tamada, or toastmaster, leads the celebrations, praising friendship and telling stories. To accompany the wine, Georgians eat (among many, many other things) khachapuri, soft bread loaves stuffed with mild, melty sulguni cheese (think here of a mix of feta and mozzarella), mtsvadi, or kebabs skewered on long blades, seasoned with garlic, coriander and hot pepper, then cooked over an open fire, and khinkhali, beautiful pleated dumplings with a pinched top filled with minced meat and a flavourful broth. Then there are piles of fruits and vegetables: persimmons, sweet and golden as concentrated sunlight, ruby red pomegranates, rich grilled eggplants and peppers, as well as salads made from perfect summer tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and walnuts. 

In the United Kingdom, the harvest festival was traditionally held in late September. Nowadays, few people celebrate, but traditions, such as competitions between neighbours to see who can grow the biggest marrow or cabbage (these can get pretty nasty, and sabotage is not uncommon), persist. In Wales, Calan Gaef, held on the 1st of November, celebrates the final work of the harvest season, and is regarded as an opportunity, in true Celtic style, to reflect on the cyclical rhythm of our lives, the seasons, nature and time. During this festival, a game called Graseg Fedi (meaning the Harvest Mare) is played. After the year’s grain is harvested, the last little bit is left and tied up tight. Then, all those involved in the harvest take turns throwing their sickles at it from a distance of 10-13ft (3-4m). Whoever manages to cut the “Mare” is declared the winner, who is rewarded with a pint of beer and the right to hang the Graseg Fedi in his or her house.

Historically, harvest festivals in the UK were an important part of the agricultural calendar, and featured feasts and communal industry in making preserves, jams, pickles and cider. When British religious non-conformists began settling in North America in the 17th century, they brought with them British festive traditions. When they met with the local Wampanoag people, they saw that these Indigenous Americans had a similar custom in early Autumn, in which thanks were given for a successful harvest, accompanied by the ceremonial eating of corn as well as feasting, music, and dancing. The two peoples realised they had something in common, but that’s a story for another postcard…

This challenge will be a slow one.  

I liked the idea from a fellow Conqueror of doing 2 miles a day:  a 1-mile walk and 1 mile for any good deed or act of gratitude.  In 2019 I made up a month of beautiful images with an idea for the month of Thanks and Giving.  😊