The Harvest Story

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The picture of thistles pulled up and burned is a scene from the final act. The Son of Man will send his angels, weed out the thistles from his kingdom, pitch them in the trash, and be done with them. They are going to complain to high heaven, but nobody is going to listen. At the same time, ripe, holy lives will mature and adorn the kingdom of their Father. He said, “Then you see how every student well-trained in God’s kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it.” Historically, harvest was celebrated with lavish meal of several meats, vegetables, puddings, tarts and ale, and would be accompanied by singing, drinking games and much reverie. All of which was to be conducted by St Michael’s Mass on the 29 th September, the signifier for the end of harvest. Farmers Robert Martin and John Nash harvesting barley at Standard Hill Farm in Elham, Kent, 24th August 1958 Credit: Getty What is the history of the harvest? Normally falling towards the end of September, or early October, the harvest festival is the closest thing we have to a day of thanksgiving. Although today we can plan a fixed day for this celebration, in the past the harvest festival differed, based on when all the crops had been brought in. The whole community, including children, needed to help right up until the end, as lives depended on the success of the harvest.

Sometimes, we take extra time to stop for a moon watching picnic and share in a small treat or drink to celebrate the season. The mulled apple cider from the Rooted Childhood September Collection would be perfect for this! As well as finding a range of harvest activities for EYFS outcomes, you'll also find many activities that'll fit nicely into your Understanding the World topics. Understanding and celebrating the importance of certain festivals and traditions in different cultures helps children gain a more well-rounded understanding of the world around them. That's why we've included a selection of detailed harvest festival activities for early years that focus on harvest's significance as a cultural festival, like this colourful What is a Harvest Festival? PowerPoint. It helps you take children through the historic meaning of harvest in a simple, easy to understand way with beautiful illustrations. Similarly, you'll find this excellent Harvest Festivals Around the World PowerPoint useful for sharing the diverse ways in which cultures around the world celebrate harvest. It's a lovely way to introduce children to unique traditions they may not have heard of before, while celebrating diversity and cultural differences. What are some ideas for harvest activities for early years?

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The word ‘harvest’ comes from the Old English word hærfest meaning ‘autumn’, aptly the season for gathering the food of the land. This was a vital time of year, when success was a genuine matter of life or death. A prosperous harvest ensured that a community would be fed throughout the potentially barren winter months. It’s therefore no surprise that it was also a time steeped in superstition and, if successful, much celebration. Many of these traditions even pre-date Christianity. Technology advances have changed the harvest traditions/Credit: Getty

Like this story? Scroll down to the bottom of this post for a printable version that includes some adorable printable puppets! The word harvest normally makes us think of agriculture, but many harvest celebrations exist around the country that celebrate another type of reaping. There are about 24 festivals that give thanks for the fishing seasons. In October, in Billingsgate, London, there’s the Harvest of the Sea Thanksgiving, where fish and netting decorate the church. These festivals arose in many fishing towns and villages, where the locals depend largely on fishing for a living. A tradition in North Shields, during the Blessing of the Salmon Fishery, is to give the first salmon catch to the vicar. We also love to sing songs and tell stories during our celebration. Festive songs add a lightness to the walk and make it oh so special! We love telling stories, especially about the changing of seasons. Storytelling is such an amazing tool to reach the hearts and minds of young children. If you’re new to storytelling, here’s how I prepare for a story.We have a few fall books we have and love including Fletcher and the Falling Leaves; Hello, Harvest Moon; Woody, Hazel & Little Pip; and The Autumn Equinox, and We Gather Together. As I stood staring at all of the amazing plants and flowers, whose names in any language were totally foreign to me (except roses, rose in Italian) I thought of how my mom would have enjoyed this scene. I literally had no idea what I was doing and was too embarassed to ask for assistance. The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.” Activity trays: Filling a large activity tray with lots of harvest-themed items like fruits, veg and seeds is a great way for children to explore the topic. Try our creative Harvest Activity Tray Plan. The seed cast in the gravel—this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.

So he explained. “The farmer who sows the pure seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the pure seeds are subjects of the kingdom, the thistles are subjects of the Devil, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, the curtain of history. The harvest hands are angels. We’re making it work with what we have and will be exploring the Harvest Moon this week as part of our nature study curriculum, Exploring Nature With Children. Sheaves were gathered into stooks, between six and 10 sheaves leaning against each other to allow drying air to flow though. Local custom accounted for the differences in number, so that styles of stook varied across the country. In Kent the ‘hooded stook’ was preferred, in which an additional sheaf was laid on the top as a cap to keep rain off. The ‘Irish mow’ in south-west England was a pile of 20 sheaves. Whatever the style, the rows of stooks gave a characteristic pattern to the harvested fields where they remained to dry for about three weeks.

A Harvest Moon Story

We’re getting well into the harvest season and it’s a perfect time to read about this time of year with the kids! Play the video. The duration is 3' 44" and the final words are: '...people can thank the farmers for producing their crops and to feed the planet.' One of the store’s owners heard that I wanted to buy flowers for my great sunny spots and she suggested growing vegetables instead. I told her that kind of adventure seemed way beyond my capabilities. Then, I saw the most beautiful plant (that I NOW know was a seedling) with elegantly shaped leaves and graceful, long, skinny, green peppers hanging from it. The photo of what the adult parent would look like that usually hung from seedlings was missing. I had no idea what kind of peppers these were – but got excited about growing something that I could use in my cooking experiments and bought it. With my passion for creating dishes, I was confident that I would come up with some dish where I could use them, even though I had no idea what they were. Bruno, agreed they were odd looking, but beautiful. Neither of us had thought to ask the nursery owner what the plant was. Bountiful Harvest (of what?).