A
Harvest Festival is an annual
celebration which occurs around the time of the main
harvest
of a given region. Given the differences in climate and crops around
the world, harvest festivals can be found at various times throughout
the world. Harvests festivals typically feature feasting, both family
and public, with foods that are drawn from crops that come to maturity
around the time of the festival. Ample food and freedom from the
necessity to work in the fields are two central features of harvest
festivals: eating, merriment, contests, music and romance are common
features of harvest festivals around the world.
In North America, Canada and the US each have their own
Thanksgiving celebrations in October and November. Certain religious holidays, such as
Sukkot, have their roots in harvest festivals.
In the USA, many churches also bring in food from the garden or farm in
order to celebrate the harvest. The festival is set for a specific day
and has become a national holiday known as
Thanksgiving
which falls on the fourth Thursday in November. In both Canada and the
USA it has also become a national secular holiday with religious
origins, but in Britain it is both a Church festival giving thanks to
God for the harvest, and a more secular festival remembered in schools.