Harvest Festivities in the Chilterns
The word Harvest derives from Old English hærfest meaning "Autumn" coming from an older word meaning “to pick or gather”. It was primarily a season name and not necessarily referring to the gathering of crops. Harvest began in early August for the winter sown crop and in September for the spring sown crop. Grain was frequently stored still on the stalk, partly so it would draw up the last moisture from the stalk and become heavier, but mainly because threshing and winnowing were good indoor activities for bad weather and were a major source of income for the farm labourers, hence the Swing Riots in the 1830s when power driven threshing machines threatened their livelihood.
The final handful of corn stalks might have been woven into a ‘corn dolly’. This represented the spirit of the corn and was kept until the following Spring to ensure a good harvest next year. In Hampshire, this is a Kern Baby and in Devon a Kirn Babby. The corn dolly isn’t always in the shape of a human. A variety of regional dollies include the Cambridgeshire Handbell, Durham Chandelier and Worcester Crown.
The harvest festival, also known as the Harvest Home, is traditionally celebrated on the Sunday nearest the harvest moon. This is the full Moon that occurs closest to the autumn equinox, which is often between 21-23 September. Today we can plan a fixed day for this celebration, but in the past the harvest festival was based on when all the crops had been brought in. The whole community, including children, needed to help right up until its completion and then there would be a Harvest Supper to celebrate. For many hundreds of years a good harvest was literally a matter of life or death.
The Harvest Festival that we know today was introduced in the parish of Morwenstow in Cornwall in 1843 by the Rev. Robert Hawker who invited his parishioners to a Harvest service as he wanted to give thanks to God for providing such plenty. This service took place on 1 October and bread made from the first cut of corn was taken at communion.
During our Harvest Weekend we’ll be making a traditional Harvest loaf. Hand crafting decorations before baking it in the oven in atmospheric Leagrave Cottage.