Harvest Festival

Well its feeling like autumn and after a miserable summer it’s almost a relief. I love this time of year. It’s cool enough to feel cosy indoors and indulge in the fire, blankets and wine but it’s not the misery of winter when you can’t walk around my freezing house without three layers of clothing, thick socks and slippers.

I did manage to fill up the hot water bottle not seal it properly and soak the end of the bed so im obviously a little out of practice.

Anyway I was thinking this weekend about the interesting pagan turned Christian ritual of harvest festival. It’s the time of year when people bring food to church to celebrate the bounty of the land and the successful harvest. Living in the middle of a city I feel like I sometimes forget what green spaces look like and being thankful for a good harvest seems strange when most of the produce we consume is shipped in from the rest of the world.

I had a small attempt this year at gardening and growing some vegetables. I have never grown anything in my life other than possibly some cress in primary school so I found the whole experience very educational. I can go to gardens and enjoy the beauty of the flowers but the excitement and appreciation I felt at every new bud in my own garden was quite overwhelming.


So last night as I gathered in my little harvest of Runner beans, Tomatoes, Spinach and some chives I was thankful for the enjoyment that my garden has given me this year. I have made many mistakes and have some very different plans for next year but being able to eat something that I have planted, cared for, watched and admired made me feel truly blessed.