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Harvest

Every agricultural society has an annual ceremony or ritual celebrating the completion of a successful harvest. In ancient times, harvest was celebrated as a religious ritual. First, parts of the harvest were offered to the gods as a thanks as well as to have profitable future crops. Native Americans were holding harvest celebrations even before Europeans came to the New World. Egyptians, during one of their harvest festivals honored Min, the god who they believed made the soil rich. Incas offered the first corn to their gods during the their harvest festival, which was called Song of the Harvest.

Today in the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated to commemorate the Pilgrims' harvest in 1621. In the Eastern United States, some Indian tribes celebrate an annual Green Corn ceremony when the first of the green (or sweet) corn is ready to harvest. For thousands of years, Jewish people have celebrated Sukkoth, memorializing the time when the Israelites lived in makeshift shelters during the harvest. In Ghana, a yam festival called To Hoot at Famine is celebrated. In Barbados, people celebrate a sugar cane harvest called Crop Over, where they feast with family and friends and play music.

Your Garden Harvest

Once you have a working garden, you have the opportunity to create your own harvest celebrations. The main theme of Abingdon Elementary's first harvest was communication. The school day was filled with activities for the children to take part. Local storytellers told stories about harvesting. One told the story The Enormous Turnip. Children made stationary and cards by stamping cut up vegetables and tempera paints. Students each brought, cleaned, and chopped vegetables to add to a large pot of soup (using the idea from Stone Soup : Everyone adds a little bit, and a feast can be had). A large pot stood over a fire stationed right beside the garden. While children added and stirred vegetables, they went to another station to grind corn and make a corn tortilla. The soup was served at the evening celebration. Children made coiled pottery, and put symbols on the pot to tell a story.

In the evening, children performed songs and skits. Parents walked around the school to look at the children's artwork and read poems the children had written about their experiences in the garden. By involving children in the evening performances, Abingdon's Harvest Celebration was extremely successful.

For Abingdon's second harvest, gumbo was made in the large pot. Children prepared, cooked, and ate Johnny Cakes, listened to a storyteller, made quilt squares, and enjoyed watching a group of African dancers perform.

Books to Read:
Sunflower House. Eve Bunting. Harcourt, Brace, and Co., 1996
Stone Soup. Marcia Brown. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1947.

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