Seasonal holiday in Britain

Harvest Festival

Harvest pumpkins in Warwickshire.

Observed by| United Kingdom
Type| Cultural, religious.
Date| The Sunday closest to the harvest moon
Frequency| Annually
Related to| Erntedankfest (Germany and Austria)
Thanksgiving (Canada)
Thanksgiving (United States)

The Harvest Festival of Thanksgiving is a celebration of the harvest and food grown on the land in the United Kingdom. It is about giving thanks for a successful crop yield over the year as winter starts to approach. The festival is also about giving thanks for all the good and positive things in people's lives, such as family and friendships.[1][2] Harvest Festivals have traditionally been held in churches but also in schools and sometimes in pubs. Some estates and farms used to hold the harvest festival in a barn. In some towns and villages the harvest festivals are set so that the different churches do not have it on the same day. People bring in produce from their garden, allotment or farm, and even tinned and packaged food. Often there is a Harvest Supper at which some of the produce may be eaten. Typically surplus produce is given away to a local charity, hospital or children's home, or auctioned for charity.

## Date[edit]

Most churches, especially in rural areas, hold a Harvest Festival but the timing varies according to local tradition. Also, many church schools hold one mid-week. Harvest Festivals in the United Kingdom take place on different dates after the end of harvest, usually in September or October, depending on what crops are grown and when they are harvested locally. Unlike Thanksgiving in the USA, the date has not been made an official public holiday. Though Harvest Thanksgiving day itself is a Sunday, many parades, festivals and services occur on other days around the same date.[3]

## External links[edit]

* Harvest Festival
* Thanksgiving
* Harvest

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Harvest Festivals and Michaelmas". 15 September 2015.
2. ^ "Peover Churches » Harvest Festival".
3. ^ "British harvest: How long does the season last, when is harvest day, plus history and traditions".

* v
* t
* e

Thanksgiving

History and
traditions

| Canada|

* Samuel de Champlain
* Martin Frobisher
* Halifax
* First Nations

|

United States|

* Pilgrims
* Mayflower
* Plymouth Colony
* Plymouth, Massachusetts
* Plymouth Rock
* Native Americans
* Samoset
* Squanto
* Wampanoag
* Cornucopia
* National Thanksgiving Proclamation
* Franksgiving
* National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation
* William Penn
* Sarah Josepha Hale
* Blackout Wednesday
* Abraham Lincoln
* Mourt's Relation

Cuisine|

* Thanksgiving dinner
* Turkey
* Deep-fried
* Tofurkey
* Stuffing
* Gravy
* Butternut squash
* Apple cider
* Hazelnuts
* Cranberry sauce
* Carrots
* Mashed potatoes
* Sweet potatoes
* Acorn squash
* Yams
* Maize
* Menudo
* Green bean casserole
* Pie
* Apple
* Pumpkin
* Pecan
* Sweet Potato

Songs|

* "Alice's Restaurant"
* "Bless This House"
* "Bringing In the Sheaves"
* "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come"
* "For the Beauty of the Earth"
* "Jingle Bells"
* "Let All Things Now Living"
* "Now Thank We All Our God"
* "Over the River and Through the Wood"
* "Simple Gifts"
* "The Thanksgiving Song"
* "We Gather Together"
* "We Plough the Fields and Scatter"
* "You Name It"

Associated
events

| Cultural|

* Christmas and holiday season
* Harvest festivals
* Thanksgiving in film
* Thanksgiving television specials
* Winter festivals
* Lighting of the Macy's Great Tree
* World's Largest Disco
* Black Friday
* Cyber Black Friday
* Small Business Saturday

|

Parades|

* Novant Health (Charlotte)
* Chicago
* America's (Detroit)
* Oktoberfest (Kitchener-Waterloo)
* Hollywood Christmas (Los Angeles)
* Macy's (New York City)
* 6abc-Dunkin' Donuts (Philadelphia)
* Celebrate the Season (Pittsburgh)
* America's Hometown (Plymouth)

Protests|

* National Day of Mourning
* Unthanksgiving Day
* Buy Nothing Day

Sports|

| Football|

* NFL on Thanksgiving Day
* CFL Thanksgiving Classic
* Boston English vs. Boston Latin
* Missouri Turkey Day Game
* Turkey Day Classic

|

Basketball|

* AdvoCare Invitational
* Battle 4 Atlantis
* Wooden Legacy
* Maui Invitational Tournament
* So Cal Challenge

Turkey Trots|

* Berwick Run for the Diamonds
* Buffalo Turkey Trot
* Dallas Turkey Trot
* Feaster Five Road Race
* Manchester Road Race

Others|

* National Dog Show
* Pumpkin chucking
* Turkey bowling
* Turkey Night Grand Prix
* The Match

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template