Some people make corn dolls – which are symbolic of the spirit of the harvest and have been made since pagan times. It is also common for people to attend church on this day, pass out food to the needy, and sing songs or pray. Today, Harvest Festival is often celebrated with a meal that is shared with friends and family and by decorating homes in Harvest Festival motifs. Harvest Festival would continue to evolve over the next few hundred years – until it became the holiday that it is today. By the 16th century, a number of traditions had been incorporated into this day. In Anglo-Saxon England, these pagan traditions would continue on as Lammas or “loaf mass.” It was during this time that it became customary to ‘bless the bread’, which would later become the tradition of giving thanks for a meal.
In Old English, the word “hærfest” would mean autumn and it would eventually become the word harvest. It was during this time that people would harvest their grains, store food away for later use and begin preparations for winter. The Harvest Festival is a holiday which can be traced all the way back to the ancient Celts when it was celebrated as the seasonal mid-point.
In that way, it is much like the American holiday of Thanksgiving.
The purpose of this holiday is to celebrate the food that the land had provided and to give thanks. This means that usually, this holiday falls around the end of September, but it may also occur at the beginning of October in some years.
It is celebrated on or close to the Sunday of the Harvest Moon – which is the full moon that is closest to the Autumn Equinox. Harvest Festival is a British tradition which goes back all the way to pagan times.