| Where: | Countrywide |
| When: | Late September to October |
| Time: | Times vary |
Harvest Festival is a Christian thanksgiving celebration of the plenty given in the years harvest. It was popularised in the nineteenth century and remains widespread today, often taking the form of a collection of produce displayed in church to be charitably distributed to the needy later. Expect seasonal fruit and vegetables to be prominent in church, often artistically arranged around the font or at the altar steps for a short period for visitors to enjoy.
Helpful Hints
Harvest Festival is widely celebrated throughout the UK.
Click here to find your local Church of England parish: http://www.achurchnearyou.com/
Click here for Churches in Wales: http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/
And here for Church of Scotland : http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/
Photo by IoW Sparky.
I enjoy traditional Harvest Festivals, with the congregation belting out “We plough the fields and scatter” and fresh vegetables such as huge marrows carefully arranged on the altar steps. In my area – the south east – these services have evolved to collecting for charity. However I found a lovely traditional service at the Rural Life Centre, at Tilfold, Surrey. ( http://www.rural-life.org.uk/ ) The Centre has a collection of old buildings re-erected on the site, including a tiny mid 19th Century chapel which only seats 20 people.. Today it had it’s own Harvest Festival, with flowers and fruit as well as an array of vegetables fresh from the garden, the harmonium playing and a small congregation singing with gusto. The Centre is a lovely place to visit, especially at Harvest Festival.
Dear Sirs
I have attended this event a few years ago. I would like to attend this year but I could not find any information on eventbrite.
Please would you send me some information about the fish harvest festival or other concert and prayers events happening in this church. I would most appreciate.
Dear Marina,
The church can be contacted via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/stmaryathill/ and you can find phone contacts etc on their page. I wouldn’t expect that you’d need a ticket for the services at the church. The website link no longer appears to work so I’ve removed it from Calendar Customs, but the Facebook link definitely works. Hope that helps!
Best wishes,
Averil