Harvest Festival

Harvest Festival is a service of thanksgiving for the completion of the annual harvest in the UK. Churches are usually filled with produce, grain and fruit and there is often a loaf baked in the shape of a sheaf of corn.

Chinese Festival of the Autumn Moon

September

During September or October at full moon, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, the festival of the Autumn Moon is celebrated. It is celebrated as a festival of lights, and before sitting down to a feast, there is a procession where animal-shaped lanterns, each containing a candle, are carried.

Traditional food, including small round shaped rice cakes symbolising the full moon, is eaten during the celebration. Rice cakes have a long history as they were used to hide messages when the Chinese were rebelling against their Mongol rulers.

With Christmas fast approaching we thought we'd cast our minds back to the autumn festival season and bring you some highlights.

Diwali

October/November

Diwali (pronounced 'Divali') is the Hindu 'Festival of Lights'. One of India's most important and popular festivals, it takes place at the new moon towards the end of October or early November and lasts for two days. In India, Diwali is celebrated in many different ways.Small lamps or candles are placed in doorways and windows to welcome the Hindu god Rama. Many of the lights used are traditional pottery oil lamps called diye, which give off a warm golden light. In parts of Northern India, young girls place a diya on a small raft and leave it to float down a river. If the lamp stays alight until it has floated out of sight, then the owner of the lamp will have good fortune that year. In some cases the festival is also dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, as Diwali is the beginning of the financial year for business people and it is hoped that she will bring good fortune.

Thanksgiving

October (Canada), November (USA)

It is believed that Thanksgiving has been celebrated in Europe since the 5th century BC, before being introduced in North America by European settlers. The Pilgrims arrived in the USA in search of a new life of religious freedom in 1620 and celebrated their first Thanksgiving the following year in Plymouth, Massachusetts. After the first harvest they held a feast to celebrate and give thanks for the food that they had grown. Their feast consisted of turkey, pumpkins, corn, cranberries and sweet potatoes. Thanksgiving is celebrated in October in Canada and on the last Thursday of November in the USA.

Hallowe'en

October

The ancient festival of Hallowe'en takes place on 31 October, the evening before the Christian feast of All Hallows' or All Saints' Day. It was believed that on that night spirits and witches returned to earth to cause mischief. Nowadays, children dress up in fancy dress to 'trick or treat' their neighbours. They also hollow out pumpkins and light them with candles, and play games such as 'bobbing the apple'.

Ramadan

September

Ramadan occurs during the ninth lunar month and is the most significant Muslim festival. Ramadan marks the month during which the prophet Mohamed received his revelation from Allah, and during this period nothing is eaten or drunk between dawn and dusk. Ramadan ends on the morning after the new moon is seen in the sky. This is the first day of the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, which means 'the breaking of the fast'. During this three-day festival, Muslims visit friends and relatives, exchange gifts and cards, and eat special food items in celebration.

Rosh Hashanah

September

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and starts on the first day of the month of Tishr. It marks the beginning of a ten-day period of repentance leading up to Yom Kippur. The month leading up to Tishru is Elul, during which Jews prepare for Rosh Hashanah. On every day in Elul, a ram's horn (the shofar) is blown to call the people to repent and start anew the coming year.