Looking back at harvest festival events

The harvest festival is a celebration of the harvest and food grown on the land in the United Kingdom. It is about giving thanks for a successful crop yield over the year as winter starts to approach.

On Wednesday, October 20, 2010, pre-schoolers and toddlers visited the United Reformed Church in Horsham, loaded with specially decorated bags filled with food items.

The visit formed part of the nursery’s annual harvest festival event with the food being donated by parents and staff. The items were then shared out among the parishioners, particularly those in need.

The group also took the opportunity to sing a collection of nursery songs for the congregation, providing a fun-filled morning for everyone involved.

The Arunside School’s harvest festival in 2009 also captured harvest through stories, songs and factual information. An overwhelming collection of fresh produce was generously donated by the families.

Potatoes, carrots, grapes, peppers and pumpkins jostled together in decorated harvest baskets which were to be delivered to elderly residents in the local community.

Carol Slight, headteacher, said: “Sharing the delights of the harvest festival with families and friends of the school was a pleasure. The children spoke and sang from their hearts. It was a fitting end to a successful first half term of the year.”