Do You Have Harvest Festivals In The US?

[w00t]

A thought just struct me, I wondered if you celebrate harvest in the US? At this time of year the churches in the UK have their harvest festivals. The churches are decorated with sheaves of corn (wheat) and vegetables. The harvest hymn is sung.

We plough the fields and scatter
The good seed on the land,
But it is fed and watered
By God's almighty hand:
He sends the snow in winter,
The warmth to swell the grain,
The breezes and the sunshine,
And soft, refreshing rain.

Refrain:
All good gifts around us
Are sent from heaven above;
Then thank the Lord,
O thank the Lord,
For all his love.

He only is the maker
Of all things near and far;
He paints the wayside flower,
He lights the evening star;
The winds and waves obey him,
By him the birds are fed;
Much more to us, his children,
He gives our daily bread.

We thank thee then, O Father,
For all things bright and good,
The seed time and the harvest,
Our life, our health, our food.
Accept the gifts we offer
For all thy love imparts,
And what thou most desirest,
Our humble, thankful hearts.

Refrain
​

 

[MaddLlama]

Not in a national sense, and it seems only Churches that think Halloween is some ghastly evil Satanic conspiracy to murder children and deconvert teenagers have "Harvest Festivals", but harvest festivals are widely celebrated in Pagan communities and groups in the US.

 

[Pariah]

Not in a national sense, and it seems only Churches that think Halloween is some ghastly evil Satanic conspiracy to murder children and deconvert teenagers have "Harvest Festivals", but harvest festivals are widely celebrated in Pagan communities and groups in the US.

Isn't our harvest festival Thanksgiving?
Aside from what the Puritans did to the Native Americans, didn't they sit down and have a nice feast from food they harvested.

 

[Isabella Lecour]

Isn't our harvest festival Thanksgiving?
Aside from what the Puritans did to the Native Americans, didn't they sit down and have a nice feast from food they harvested.

Thanksgiving is a holiday based on propaganda to establish a nationalist feeling in celebration of the establishment of the colonies. Whatever resemblance it might of had to a harvest festival it has ceased to be that a long time ago. Now it's just a holiday to teach kids a myth about how USA begun and a great day to sell plenty of turkey besides being a federal holiday.

Take a look at what History.com has to say about Thanksgiving. click here

I celebrate the harvest and decorate for it each year. There are often good harvest festivals nearby to take the kids. But I've never see it too close to Thanksgiving, ever.

 

[Popeyesays]

Both Halloween and Thanksgiving are good Harvest Festivals, they have all the symbols of Harvest Festivals attached. One can say that a squared headed digging device with a "T" Handle grip is not a spade, but, one might as well call it such because that's what it is.

Regards,
Scott

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Here in Maine we have many varied forms of harvest festivals. A lot of Churches put them on. Our state fairs are still highly agricultural and celebrate the harvest.

 

[jamaesi]

Churches around here have "Hell House" about this time of year...

Most of what I would have to say about them is pages of rage, so I'll sum it up it up with this. I think they are disgusting.

 

[w00t]

I have heard of these 'Hell Houses', they are certainly the product of depraved minds!

 

[Smoke]

As far as I'm concerned, Halloween and Thanksgiving are both harvest festivals. Halloween is the fun one.

Edit: And in South Carolina, the State Fair is always held in the first part of October. So that's three for me.

 

[w00t]

As far as I'm concerned, Halloween and Thanksgiving are both harvest festivals. Halloween is the fun one.

Edit: And in South Carolina, the State Fair is always held in the first part of October. So that's three for me.

I think the Harvest Festivals in the UK have a different meaning, they are only put on by the churches.

 

[Smoke]

I think the Harvest Festivals in the UK have a different meaning, they are only put on by the churches.

Many churches here make some observance of Thanksgiving, but it's more of a family holiday.

Many churches here also observe Halloween, either in the traditional way or in some alternate, anti-Halloween kind of way, or now with Hell Houses and such.

It's hard to generalize.

 

[Muffled]

I would agree somewhat about Thanksgiving, Halloween and Fairs. They all have a harvest theme here somewhat.

The church my son attends (even though he is an atheist) holds a harvest fair as a substitute for Halloween. It is well attended by the churched and unchurched and the church uses it to evangelize through a puppet show.

The previous church that I attended had hymns of thanksgiving at holiday time but it wasn't celebrated as a harvest festival. Halloween was a non-entity at that church.

Here our fairs are put on as town events but they draw crowds from a wide area. I know of at least one church that has an evangelical booth at the fair.

The church that my son attends used to be my church before we had a falling out. It is highly evangelical. When I was attending we built a 500 seat church which was 3/4 full. Now they have to hold two services on site and a third more evangelical service at a movie theatre. Strangely enough people who wouldn't go near a church will go to a movie theatre. Go figure, oy!

 

[w00t]

In the UK a harvest festival is a church service thanking God for the harvest.

 

[Angelfire]

I think the Harvest Festivals in the UK have a different meaning, they are only put on by the churches.

Not so, we had Harvest Festival at school every year.


peace

 

[w00t]

Not so, we had Harvest Festival at school every year.


peace

Sorry, yes of course church schools have harvest festivals too.