London (People's Daily) - The Harvest Festival, the UK's annual Autumn fiesta, is usually celebrated near the autumn equinox. This year's Harvest Festival was on September 23, while celebrations started as early as mid-September.
Farmer Charles Eckley inspects his pumpkin harvest in a field at Pumpkin Moon in Maidstone, Britain. (Photo:VCG)
The Harvest Festival in the UK can be dated back to the 5th Century, although the modern customs and traditions of the festival mostly came from Victorian times. During the festival, people use the last sheaf of corn cut to make corn dollies, as a wish for the next year's harvest, and bring in products from gardens or farms and share them with the poor and senior citizens of the local community. Food is also used to raise funds for the church or charity.
Living on the British Isles, British people also celebrate the harvests from the sea, like the Lobster Festival, Scallops Festival, etc. The agriculture proportion in the UK economy only accounts for 0.52 percent of its GDP, but British people still regard the Harvest Festival as reminiscing about their ancestors and old traditions, and they pass it from generation to generation.
Apparently, the meaning of the Harvest Festival nowadays is far beyond the happiness of the harvests. It represents people's gratitude to nature, and their tribute to their ancestors as well as the spirit of sharing.
At the other end of the Eurasian continent, China, one of the agricultural origins of the world, also has an old and deep-rooted tradition of celebrating harvests. Chinese people use the term "社稷(She Ji)", to describe their nation, as the two characters represent the gods of grains and land. The word reflects the ancient worship to agriculture. From this year on, the autumn equinox is formally established as the "Chinese Farmers Harvest Festival", people all around China will have a special festival to celebrate their harvests and express their gratitude and hard work.
You would be wrong if you think that Harvest Festivals are only for rural people. In London, the Pearl Kings and Queens Harvest Festival is a long-known celebration. People wear black clothes with hundreds of pearls stitched on and gather at the Guildhall of London. The Kings and Queens of Pearl are without a doubt the shining stars of the day. This is just one example that the joy of harvest transfers from rural to city, from farmers and fishermen to the urban population. Although farmers are the main producers of the harvest, the fruits are for all, and that's exactly the reason why people should value agriculture.
Different places have their own traditions and products, therefore harvest festivals are expressed by thousands of postures. In Peru, people celebrate the birth of the Sun; In Germany, Wine Queens are just as fabulous as Pearl Queens in London; In China, each area has one celebration. Specializing and promoting these characterized festivals can not only show one place's regional culture, but also help develop rural economies.
What the Harvest Festival really means to people today, is to enhance the cultural identity. People celebrate the festival once a year, but they respect agriculture all year round. Farmers and rural places should exist for all time.