Food is paramount to the people. Agriculture is undoubtedly an ancient and important industry of mankind. It was born with the rise of human settlement society and laid a foundation for the development of later civilization. In essence, agriculture is a process in which human beings use their wisdom to transform nature and gain economic benefits.
The harvest festival has a long history as agriculture. For many nationalities, the harvest festival is a sacred and solemn day. For thousands of years, countless thanks, hopes and prayers have been placed here.
The festival is the condensation of history and culture. In the agricultural society, the harvest festival is a gift from heaven. However, in the era of consumption, bumper harvests need not only to harvest heavy crops on the land, but also to convert them into commodities suitable for consumers.
In ancient times, agriculture was an industry that depended on the weather. It was not easy to get a good harvest. Therefore, people all over the world will celebrate the harvest of crops through various ceremonies and activities to thank God for "appreciation".
In the United States, the famous Thanksgiving Day originates from the celebration of harvest. In 1620, 102 Puritans who were persecuted by religion in England landed in Plymouth. With the help of Indians, these immigrants began to plant corn, pumpkins and other crops, and finally got a good harvest. According to religious customs, they held a grand banquet to celebrate. The whole celebration lasted for three days, with dance, wrestling, games and other activities taking turns, and many customs have been preserved.
The harvest festival is also known as the "harvest Thanksgiving Day" in Austria. Its origin is also a traditional celebration held by farmers to express their gratitude to God after the harvest in autumn. Today, the festival has become a platform for farmers to display their products and promote the sales and circulation of agricultural products. At the event site, people tasted all kinds of snacks, learned and purchased the agricultural products they needed, enjoyed music and dance, and immersed themselves in a happy atmosphere.
Tamils in southern India seem to attach more importance to harvest than other ethnic groups. From January 14 of each year, they will celebrate for 4 days. On the first day of the celebration, each family will set up a stove in front of the door, boil the milk, and then shout "Pongal-o-Pongal", which means "boiling over", to pray for a bumper crop and a happy life in the coming year. In the following three days of celebration, they will respectively thank Indra, the rain god, the cattle for farming and milk, and Surya, the sun god. It can be seen that this is a grateful nation. Our ancestors also celebrated and prayed for the harvest.
As one of the four traditional festivals, the Mid Autumn Festival has the meaning of celebrating harvest. Some folklorists believe that the Mid Autumn Festival is originated from the celebration of the autumn harvest. People also worship the Land God, which is a festival to thank God for his kindness. Offer fresh seasonal fruits to the moon and eat them after the festival. This is not only a tribute to the moon, but also a taste of new things. At the same time, it is a blessing for a better life in the future. Sichuan, Fujian and other places will offer sacrifices to the Tugu God on the Mid Autumn Festival, which is called "stirring up the land and repaying blessings in autumn". It also means rewarding the God after harvest.
Ten percent festival is very popular in parts of the south. It is usually around the 10th day of the 10th lunar month to celebrate the harvest of the year and offer sacrifices to the harvest god. It is believed that the tenth day of October represents perfection, and it is a perfect day after the autumn harvest. Therefore, we should thank the land for its grace on this day.
In general, although the way to celebrate the harvest is different around the world, reunion and gratitude are common features.