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Tuesday, October 20, 2009 9:57 PM CDT
Many traditions come with celebrating harvest time



The traditions of celebrating a bountiful harvest are rich with history dating back centuries upon centuries. These traditions have developed over time to include religious and other social factors, as well as special themes and recognitions.

In the beginning these traditions were held to celebrate the bounty that was to hopefully winter-over the tribe. A bountiful harvest meant that fewer would die through the harsh winter weather.

Today those harsh winters kill fewer, but a tradition of celebrating a good harvest stands just as strong and important today as it did for those years before.

In autumn, after farmers had gathered all of their harvest, they hosted a “harvest home” feast for members of their community. Customarily, participants in the feast would use the last sheaf of grain to make a corn doll, a symbolic or decorative figure made of braided straw.

People believed that the doll contained the spirit of a successful harvest, so when the feasting had ended, they took the doll to a farmhouse, where they stored it until the next harvest supper.

Many holidays such as Thanksgiving are rooted in the Harvest Festival traditions and were developed from its reasons. Thanksgiving day in the United States is one of the longest running festivals in our country, dating back to 1621.

The importance of a successful harvest has long been very an important accomplishment for everyone. That still holds true today even though fewer than 2 percent of the population is actively engaged in production farming.

Our agricultural industry provides us with our food, fuels, pharmaceuticals, house supplies and so much more. This is reason enough to celebrate a successful harvest.

We continue today using agricultural products to better our lives in any ways we can. That bountiful harvest helps assure that we will continue to prosper and grow.

So celebrate as traditions have taught us and remember this fall the reasons for celebrating a bountiful harvest.

Mary Cox is the manager of the Coles County Farm Bureau.


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Mama says wrote on Oct 26, 2009 1:44 AM:

" Mary, this brought back memories of going to Uncles for the harvest. I was 9 when put in charge of peeling potatoes, cleaning corn on cob, and the great chore of drying dishes with cousins. We thought we were big stuff.
We also made clothespin dolls with husk clothes,,,,which I thought was fun.
I realized when peeling potatoes just how men like eating potatoes. At times would think, AM I EVER GONNA PEEL ENOUGH? Four relatives in same area were farmers. So all met at one house for the meal. We had 40 to feed, and old doors were kept and on sawhorses and covered with white paper and taped.
Each family brought paper cups, plates, napkins, and cutlery. OH THE FOOD WAS SO GOOD. Pie, cake, desserts were made.
In family, we were blessed with good good cooks. Don't hear about these much now. I hope the tradition does goes on. "

 


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