Spotlight Magazines Spotlight Magazine for Mansfield North Sept 2015 | Page 20

Spotlight Magazine

The Importance of Bread

Harvest Time

We have celebrated a successful harvest
since pagan times in Britain. Today events
are commonly held in September or
October on the Sunday when there is a
full moon closest to the Autumn Equinox
(September 23rd).
Prior to King Henry VIII’s break away from
the Catholic Church however, celebrations
took place on August 1st at the start of the
Harvest season. The day was known as
Lammas or ‘loaf mass’, and marked the
wheat harvest specifically with celebrations
on later days to honour fruit crops. On
Lammas it was customary for farmers to
make a loaf from the new crop and take it
to church.

Frequently celebrations in schools and
churches include hymns such as We
Plough the Fields And Scatter, and All
Things Bright and Beautiful. Decorations
such as corn dollies and the display of
home grown produce are set out.
This format is thought to emanate from
when the Revered Robert Hawker invited
parishioners to harvest celebrations in
Morwenstow in Cornwall in 1843.
Whether you celebrate formally or not it’s a
great time of year to enjoy the foods of the
season, especially bread.

Stories of tradition then vary, with some
sources saying the blessed loaf would
be used for communion during a special
mass thanking God for the harvest. Others
say the loaf was split into four pieces and
placed in the corners of the barn to p