How will your school be celebrating Harvest Festival?

At this time of year farmers traditionally bring in crops that are ready to harvest

Primary schools are facing a difficult dilemma around this year's Harvest Festival.

In a year that has seen the introduction of class bubbles and social distancing to stop the spread of coronavirus schools won't be able to hold the usual Harvest Festival assemblies.

The festival is an important time for lots of schools to give something back to the community so schools have been coming up with some ways to celebrate and stay safe.

What is Harvest Festival and why do we still celebrate it?

Harvest festivals are believed to date back to pagan practise in ancient Britain, when most people grew their own food.

Farmers gave thanks for a good harvest during the full moon closest to the autumn equinox, it was important to them because it meant they could store the food and eat well through the hard winter months.

The celebrations became popular again in Victorian times as a kind of 'thanksgiving' service, including prayer and church services.

While we don't all grow our own food anymore Harvest festivals are still considered an important way to learn about the process of how our food gets from farms to our tables, as well as being a key date in the calendar of different religions.

Schools often ask pupils to bring in tinned or dried foods which can be donated to people who need it

Covid safe Harvest Festival

We've spoken to teachers across the UK about how they are changing their plans to celebrate Harvest Festival this week, in the face of new coronavirus restrictions - here's what they had to say:

"This year we can't go ahead due to COVID, as we have 120 children in the Key Stage, who are now in separate year group bubbles. As an alternative we'll be using the harvest focus to complete an art and music unit with the staff usually responsible for the production."

Emma a KS1 teacher in a Primary School in, West Yorkshire

"Each year group will be asked to bring in food that has a certain coloured package. Each year group will then take it in turns to go to the hall and we will create a rainbow with the food. This picture will be displayed on the website and Facebook page, and the food will be donated to charity afterwards." 

Bethan, a Year 3 teacher in a Primary School in Plymouth

"Each week, the Head teacher records an assembly, which we then share with the children, so we will also have a harvest themed one. We don't currently have any assemblies together in the hall because of COVID. This is very different to our usual traditional harvest festival where we all get together in the hall and which contains all the lovely songs like Harvest Samba." 

Anonymous

"Due to COVID, we are unable to have any formal gatherings in school or assemblies. We are a Catholic school and Harvest is at the centre of our celebrations. I understand there may be a Harvest Mass held virtually as we currently have virtual assemblies. We are teaching Harvest festival through RE and Collective Worship instead, rather than through mass gatherings."

Jemma, a SEN/Senco Specialist Teacher in a Catholic Primary School

"Each class will do a small presentation in the outdoors which will be filmed. Prayers and songs will also be filmed. These will be put together and sent out digitally…"

A Primary teacher in a school in Powys, Wales.

Will your school be celebrating Harvest Festival this week? Tell us how it might be different this year. Let us know in the comments below.