What is Harvest Festival?
Welcome, October! Harvest Festival is almost upon primary school across the UK - but what exactly is it, and why do schools celebrate it? Whether you can recall bringing a can of beans into class in your schooling, or your child is actively involved in celebrating this seasonal festival, we’ve put together a simple summary of this event, and what schools are likely to do in the run up.
The reason for the season
Harvest Festival happens all around the world, depending on when a traditional harvest happens in that country. For the UK, October time is the main point we celebrate, and primary schools will often follow suit. Historically, the celebration of the harvest has been used to celebrate prosperity and agriculture. It is commonly celebrated in Christian churches across the UK, and primary schools, to give thanks for a good bounty. This is often accompanied by charitable giving to local communities, and those experiencing food hardship. Recent years have seen a focus on Foodbank donations.
What happens at Harvest Festival in schools?
Typically, the more rural and farming-aligned the location of the school, the more you will see this crop up (pardon the pun) and celebrated, but the majority of mainstream schools in the UK will see some sort of harvest celebration. Church schools will also have a large focus on the festival, often connecting the season with Christian values of thanks and donating to the poor. In the UK many schools donate to local Foodbanks or donate to relief based charities like The Trussell Trust, which is why children are often ask to bring non-perishable food items to donate as part of the celebration.
Schools will often also have an assembly focused on Harvest Festival, sometimes with parents invited. If your child goes to a church school, this may be at your local church, or hosted by the local vicar.
How can I get involved in Harvest Festival?
Your child’s school or nursery will likely ask for donations, whether in food, or money, to their chosen charity. This is the first port of call to support this festival.
Many schools will also need volunteers to help get donated food to Foodbank centres. This may be arranged internally, but it’s well worth reaching out to ask if you could be helpful as an on the day delivery driver.
Finally, if your child’s school is marking the occasion with an assembly of some sort, it might be worth asking if they need any extra hands to help. You could find yourself helping create art or displays, or perhaps helping children learn a harvest themed song.
Happy Harvest Festival! We hope you are able to donate, enjoy or celebrate in some way. We’d love to hear from you on how it went!
