Harvest Festivals Around the World

by Judie Haynes

Harvest Festivals have been held as long as people have been sowing and gathering food. Show your students how people all over the world celebrate the harvesting of a good crop.

People from various cultures all over the world celebrate the gathering of the harvest. Harvest Festivals have been held as long as people have been sowing and gathering food. For Americans, this harvest festival is held on the fourth Thursday of November and is called Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving feast goes back to 1621 when Pilgrims shared a celebration with the Native Wampanoag People.

Teach your students about the harvest feasts people from other parts of the world celebrate. The following festivals are examples of a few of these celebrations.

Homowo Festival in Ghana

Tell the story of the yam festival to students. Include information that is appropriate to their grade and English language levels.

African people have always had festivals at the time of the harvest. In Ghana the Yam Festival (Homowo) lasts three days. The festival begins with a cleansing ceremony to honor family members who have died. Farmers give thanks to the gods who ensure a good harvest. Twins and triplets are honored during this time as a special gift from God. Yams are an important crop in Ghana. During Homowo, they are taken from the ground and are carried to the village. Then they are blessed by the chief. Special foods made from yams are served. Mashed yams with hard boiled eggs are an important part of the festival. People also eat Kpekpele which is made from corn meal and palm oil. During homowo people wear a kind of toga made from kente cloth which is brightly colored. The festival ends with a big feast. People dance and sing to the sounds of drums

. To celebrate this festival have students taste mashed yams and compare them with mashed white potatoes. Which do they

like best? Students can also design kente cloth made with brightly colored geometic patterns. Find examples of this cloth see Kente

cloth. After getting to the Marshall University web site, type "kente cloth" into their search engine. Lesson plans on this topic are at Grade 2 lesson plans.

Harvest Moon Festival in China

Tell students a story about the Chinese Harvest Moon Festival. The Chinese Harvest Moon Festival is celebrated on the15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar

in honor of the harvesting of the rice and wheat crops. At this time the moon is at its brightest. This is thought to be the birthday of the moon and Chang-O, a woman who flew to the moon and can be seen when the moon is full, is honored.

Another legend is that flowers fall from the moon when it is full. The flowers bring good luck.

Moon cakes are the traditional food to eat during this festival. This dates back to 1368 when China was under Mongolian rule. The Chinese planned a revolution to overthrow the Mongolians. They sent secret messages to plan this revolution in mooncakes which were not eaten by the Mongolians.

During the Chinese Moon Festival families get together to view the full moon, a symbol of luck, harmony and abundance. Adults will eat many different varieties of moon cakes with a good cup of piping hot Chinese tea. Along with the mooncakes, children have parades with lanterns and puppet shows.

Chinese Moon Festival is also celebrated in Taiwan, Singapore, and Vietnam.

Have students develop several questions or riddles about the Harvest Moon Festival. Ask them to write each question on a separate squares of paper. Fold the paper several times. Make a moon shaped pocket out of yellow construction paper. Have students pass their �mooncake� to a classmate. Divide the students into teams. Each student must find the questions in his/her cake and answer them. If a student cannot answer the question, the other team gets a chance to respond.

Let students make �good luck� cards with flowers in them to commerate the Harvest Moon Festival. Use yellow construction paper in the shape of a full moon. Have students draw pictures of flowers and cut the picture out. Attach the picture to the inside of the card.

Using a Venn Diagram, have students compare the Harvest Moon Festival with the Yam Festival in Ghana. Read stories associated with this festival at Harvest Moon stories. Have students begin our Harvest Festival Chart.

Chu Suk in Korea

Present the story of Korean Thanksgiving to your students.

�Chu Suk is a Korean harvest celebration which is considered the Korean Thanksgiving. It is held on the 15th of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. Memorial services are held during which family members visit the tombs of their ancestors and offer them rice and fruit.There is a special feast to show thanks for each other. The feast starts with a family gathering at which "Songphyun" is served. These are special rice cakes made of rice, beans, sesame seeds, and chestnuts.�The eve of Chu Suk is called Kang Kang Sue Wol Lae. During this ceremony women make a circle and sing and dance. They wear their best hanbok. People also have wrestling, archery, folk music, and they play a game called turtle tag. Chu Suk is the time to celebrate the family and give thanks for their blessings.

Have students compare Chu Suk to the Chinese Harvest Moon festival. Make a list of things that are the same and those that are unique to each celebration.

The Korean hanbok is one of the most distinct aspects of Korean culture.The top part of the hanbok is called a jeogori. It is like a short blouse with long sleeves. Women also wear skirts called chima. This traditional clothing is bright colored. The hanbok is often worn during national holidays and festive occassions.Various accessories such as foot gear, jewelry, and headdresses or hair pins completed the outfit. Have students visit the website Traditional Korean Clothing. Ask them to pick a type of clothing from the menu and write about it. They can also make a drawing of the clothing they choose.

Trung Thu in Vietnam

Tell students the story of Trung Thu which is celebrated in Vietnam. Beautiful pictures of this holiday can be found in Children Just Like Me - Celebrations.

In Vietnam, T�t-Trung-Thu is a mid-Autumn celebration which takes place on August 15th. This is a family celebration and children are the center of the holiday. It is an occasion for parents to show their love of their children. This festival is also called the Children�s Festival. This holiday also celebrates the harvest moon which is whiter and brighter at this time of year.There is a parade to promote success in school. Parents buy their children lanterns so that they can be in the procession. Vietnamese market stalls sell all kinds of lanterns but the most popular is the star lantern. The frame is made from bamboo and a candle is put in the center so that children can have light during the parade.� Children also like to make or buy masks for this celebration. Traditional Vietnamese dances such as the Unicorn dance are popular during the festivities.�

� Vietnamese parents tell their children fairy tales and give them mooncakes and other treats to eat. A favorite story is about a carp that wants to be a dragon. The carp works very hard and finally turns into a dragon. The moral of this story is that if children work hard in school, they can become anything they want.

Have students read or listen to the Vietnamese harvest story Watermelon. This story is on the internet. �Have students make a mask for this holiday. They can make colorful masks from construction paper or use the paper

mache masks featured at Kinder Art Directions for making masks from paper plates can be adapted from Enchanted Learning.

Holi in India

Tell students the story of Holi.

Holi is� a� harvest� celebration marking� the� end of� spring. It is celebrated each year on the day after the full moon in early March all over India. This is one of the most colorful Indian festivals.Bonfires� are lit to banish the cold winter and grains from the harvest are offered to the flames. During the festival there is plenty of� color� throwing, prayer,� fasting� and� feasting. People run through the streets throwing colored powder� and�� water� at� each other. There is exchange of greetings, the older people give out sweets and money and everyone joins in dancing to the rhythm of the drums. This is a celebration of joy and hope which is eagerly awaited by Indians.

There is a very good story on the internet from India. Go to The Rupee Tree. Have students learn about Indian culture. Take them to Time for Kids to learn about a day in the life of an Indian child.

Have students color a rangoli pattern on line at Rangoli Patterns. Let your students study Indian culture through clothing, toys and other interesting topics at Indian Toys. Send Holi greeting cards at Holi Greetings. Help students learn a few words of Hindi at India Past and Present.

African Harvest Festivals

In Africa the festival is of a religious nature and has lots of dancing and music. Dancers wear masks and each dance tells a story. The stories range from a good ghost who looks after their crops and scares away the bad ghosts who try to spoil the food.

African people have always had festivals at the time of harvest.

In some parts of Africa good grain harvests are a cause for celebration. In other parts of Africa there is the Festival of Yams.

Tribes of West Africa, for example, celebrate the yam harvest with days of ceremonies and offerings of yams to their ancestors and to the gods.

The Yam Festival is usually held in the beginning of August at the end of the rainy season.

A popular holiday in Ghana and Nigeria, the Yam Festival is named after the most common food.

Yams are the first crops to be harvested. People offer yams to the gods and ancestors first before they distribute them to the rest of the village.

This is their way of giving thanks to the spirits.

The Homowo Festival of Africa, is a celebration of a traditional harvest festival from the Ga people of Ghana, West Africa, it is the largest cultural festival of its kind. For the Ga people, the word Homowo means "hooting at hunger."

The origin of Homowo is tied to the origin of the Ga people and their migration to Ghana. The Ga traveled for many years before reaching the west coast of Africa where they now live. Along the way they experienced famine, but because they helped each other, they survived. Later when their harvests were bountiful, they held a feast at which they jeered at the hunger and hard times that had plagued them. This was the first Homowo.

The Homowo Festival commences with a traditional Ghanaian procession in which people from local African and African-American assume the roles of kings, queens and followers of the royal family of each of Ghana's ethnic groups.

In some African cultures they hold a ceremony called "first fruits" that takes several days of planning in order to bless the newly harvested crops and purify the people before they eat the foods.

British Harvest Festival

In Britain churches celebrate harvest festivals when the wheat has been cut and the apples have been picked. The churches are decorated in flowers and greenery. Fruit and vegetables are also put on display, with a loaf of bread in the middle. Sometimes a plough might be bought into the church for blessing so as the next years harvesting will be plentiful.

In Britain a corn dolly is created by plaiting the wheat stalks to create a straw figure. The corn dolly is kept until the spring. This was done as people believed that the corn spirit lived in the wheat and as the wheat was harvested, the spirit fled to the wheat which remained. By creating the dolly the spirit is kept alive for the next year and for the new crop. Sometimes these dollies are hung up in the barn or sometimes in the farmhouse or even in the church. In spring the dolly would be ploughed back into the soil. There are many types of corn dolly.

There is also another story to the corn dolly which is to be found in the folksong John Barleycorn. Three men swear that John Barleycorn must die. They take a plough and bury him alive. But in the spring he rises through the soil. After a while he grows big and strong, even growing a beard, so the three men cut him down at the knee, tie him on to a cart, beat him, strip the flesh off his bones and grind him between two stones. But at the end it is John Barleycorn who defeats his opponents, proving the stronger man, by turning into beer.

In Britain harvest festivals are celebrated mostly in Christian churches. An old tradition is to bake a loaf in the shape of a wheat sheaf, using the last of the harvested grain. The loaf is taken to the richly decorated church as a symbol of thanksgiving for the harvest.

People who work in London markets have a special parade in autumn. They are called the pearly kings and queens. They celebrate wearing special costumes.

Chinese Harvest Festival

No one can be sure of the origins of the Harvest Moon Festival also called the Mid-Autumn Festival. The origins were romanticized by the story of Chang Er, who was believed to have taken a pill and became a fairy and flown to the moon to escape from the pursuit of her husband. It was thought that we could see Chang Er on the moon when it is at its brightest usually the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. The exact date in the Western calendar changes from year to year but it is approximately in September.

Another story is that on the fifteenth day that Yueh Lao, the old man in the moon who was supposed to help young people find their future marriage partners. On this day people enjoy music and dancing and eating round yellow Moon Cakes.

Chinese legends say that the moon is at its brightest and roundest on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Under this bright autumn moon, friendships are made and renewed. It is perfect for a romantic rendezvous. Chinese poets write about long lost lovers finding their way to each other on this special night.

The August Moon Festival is often called the Women's Festival. The moon symbolizes beauty and elegance, While Westerners worship the sun for its power, and people in the Far East admire the moon. The moon is the female principle and it is a trusted friend.

In fact, many ancient August Moon folktales are about a moon maiden. On the 15th night of the 8th lunar moon, little children on earth can see a lady on the moon. On this magical occasion, children who make wishes to the Lady on the Moon will find their dreams come true.

The Mid-Autumn Festival or Chinese Moon Festival, is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar.

Mid-Autumn is a time for family and loved ones to gather and enjoy the full moon that is a symbol of abundance, harmony and luck. Families enjoy picnics or special dinners. Adults will usually indulge in many different varieties moon cakes with a good cup of piping hot Chinese tea. Along with the delicious moon cakes, children enjoy brightly lit lanterns, puppet shows, and lantern processions.

Egyptian Harvest Festival

In Egypt the celebration of the spring-time harvest festival was dedicated to Min, their god of vegetation and fertility. Spring being the harvest season of the Egyptian's was the time to hold the festival. The festival featured a parade in which the Pharaoh took part. After the parade a great feast was held. Music, dancing, and sports were also part of the celebration.

When the Egyptian farmers harvested their corn, they wept and pretended to be grief-stricken. This was done to deceive the spirits of which they believed lived in the corn. They feared the spirits would become angry when the farmers cut down the corn where the spirits lived.

French Harvest Festival

January 22nd is the winemakers� holiday. This tradition is held in Burgundy villages, where grapes have flourished since the second century, and the idea is to rustle up every single statue of Saint Vincent that can be found and to parade them all through the streets. The villages of Cote-des-Nuits and the villages of Cote-de-Beaune take turns hosting the festival. Joining in the parade of statues are vintners, vineyard workers, wine merchants and richly robed members of the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, which are a distinguished sort of Knights Templar of the wine trade.

All over Europe the feast day is crucial in the determination of the success or failure of the years wine harvest.

French Catholics celebrate the Feast of Saint Martin of Tours or as it is also known Martinmas, held on November 11. This feast was held to honor the Hungarian saint who, as legend goes, hid in a barn when he heard he had been appointed a bishop and believed he did not earn such an honor. A honking goose as legend goes was to reveal his hiding place, so roast goose became a traditional dish for Martinmas feast, along with wine made from the grape harvest.

As well the day held elements of the Halloween tradition with children marching in parades carrying homemade lanterns.

German Harvest Festival

In Germany they hold a harvest festival devoted to the shepherds and cowherds who would return from the mountains. The animals are covered with flowers, and the villagers put on their national costumes to welcome the procession.

In Germany, peasants used to break the first straws of hay brought into the barns saying, "This is food for the dead."

Also in Germany they celebrate the harvest festival known as Oktoberfest which is the end of the grape harvest. Where grape-growing and wine-making go on, a green branch or bush is hung over the door when it comes time for the wine tasting.

The Oktoberfest festivities are officially opened when the Lord Mayor taps the first barrel of beer. A large parade of colorfully decorated brewers' drays and magnificent floats brings the festivities to an exciting climax on the first Sunday of October. Beer tents erected for the occasion provide an unending supply of drink and food and a carnival atmosphere permeates the entire festival.

In Germany the Erntedanktag is an official holiday. Harvest Festivals are celebrated in churches and market places, in homes and dance halls. Religious holiday traditions are a part of the local culture and are enjoyed by the whole community.

The German Erntedankfest is primarily a rural and a religious celebration. When it is celebrated in larger cities, it is usually part of a church service.

Erntedankfest is often celebrated on the first Sunday in October, which is usually also the first Sunday following Michaelistag or Michaelmas which is 29 Sept, but, various locales may give thanks at different times during September and October.

Erntedankfest is not a big day of family get-togethers and feasting, but, there are some turkey substitutes, usually so-called Masth�hnchen, or chickens bred to be fattened up for more meat. Der Kapaun is a castrated rooster that is fed until he's heavier than the average rooster. Die Poularde is the hen equivalent, a sterilized pullet that is also fattened up.

A "harvest crown" or Erntekrone is formed of ears of grain, flowers and fruit is taken to church in solemn procession. Mostly the celebration includes the blessing of gifts, a parish celebration and/or morning drinking festivals also known as Fr�hschoppen.

German Catholics also celebrate the Feast of Saint Martin of Tours or as it is also known Martinmas, held on November 11. This feast was held to honor the Hungarian saint who, as legend goes, hid in a barn when he heard he had been appointed a bishop and believed he did not earn such an honor. A honking goose as legend goes was to reveal his hiding place, so roast goose became a traditional dish for Martinmas feast, along with wine made from the grape harvest.

As well the day held elements of the Halloween tradition with children marching in parades carrying homemade lanterns.

Protestant Germans later on celebrated the Feast of Saint Martin in honor of the German religious leader and founder of Protestantism, Martin Luther, who was born on November 10th 1483 and was named after Saint Martin of Tours.

Greek Harvest Festival

The ancient Greeks worshipped Demeter as their goddess of all grains. Each autumn the festival of Thesmosphoria was held to honor the goddess.

On the first day of the festival married women would build leafy shelters and furnish them with couches made with plants. On the second day they fasted. On the third day a feast was held and offerings to the goddess Demeter were made - gifts of seed corn, cakes, fruit, and pigs. It was hoped that Demeter's gratitude would grant them a good harvest

Northern Indian Harvest Festival

In Northern India they harvest their wheat in spring which is either in late February or early March. This is also the time for Holi which is a Hindu harvest festival and lasts five days.

At festival time everyone dresses up, or buys new clothes. People join in the fun of the festival by wearing old clothes as part of the celebration they throw colored water and red powder at each other. Everyone whether they are family, friends or strangers get the same treatment.

There are all kinds of games played and everyone is encouraged to join in. Most of the games are rough and boisterous. Candy Game and also Tug of War.

They also build and light bonfires where everyone in the neighborhood is to provide fuel for the bonfire. After the flames have died down the ashes are rubbed over people's foreheads. This is done as it was believed to bring good luck for the year ahead.

In Northern India, the festival is known as Lohri while in Assam it is called Bhogali Bihu, in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar it is known as Sankranti, and in Andhra Pradesh it is celebrated as Bhogi, when each household puts on display its collection of dolls.

Eastern Indian Harvest Festival

In Eastern India the primary crop harvested is rice. Here Holi is held at the time of the full moon and is a religious festival more so then that held in the North. Springtime is also the season of love.

At this time they celebrate the love story of the God, Krishna and Radha the young woman of whom he fell in love with. There are processions through the streets where images of the two are pulled by decorated animals and surrounded by flowers. These images are often shown sitting on a swing made of flowers.

The temples are a place of offering flowers before the images. The love story of Krishna and Radha is dramatized or recalled by reading verses from a very long poem known as the Bhagavata Purana, which means "Ancient Stories of the Lord".

They also have bonfires like they do elsewhere. They hold a dance too where the men and women dance in separate groups around the bonfires. People also throw red and blue powder at each other as well as water.

Southern Indian Harvest Festival

In Southern India they have a festival called Onam. For this festival they clean their homes and the children go out to pick flowers and in return are bought new clothes. People go to the temple and give thanks for the harvest.

Onam has a story behind it that a long time ago an Asura king named Mahabali ruled Kerala. He was dearly loved by his subjects and was known to be a just and wise ruler. His popularity soon spread far and wide. Mahabali, however, incurred the wrath of the gods when, besides earth, he extended his rule to the heavens and the nether world. Indra, the king of gods, did not appreciate the growing power of the asura king. The gods approached Lord Vishnu the preserver in the Hindu trinity to help them out of the situation and to curb the growing power of the Asura king. Lord Vishnu in the guise of Vamana approached Mahabali for alms. Now Mahabali was a very generous man. He told Vamana to ask for anything. The Vamana asked for three pieces of land and the king agreed to it.

Immediately the Vamana increased in size, he grew as big as the universe. With his first step he covered the earth. With the second step he covered the heaven and the nether world. He did not have any land to place the third step. Mahabali offered his head as the third step. The Vamana placed the third step on Mahabali�s head and sent him to nether world. But before placing the final step, Mahabali was granted a boon. Mahabali was allowed to return to his country once a year and visit his people. Onam is the day when Mahabali comes to visit his people. In memory of the happy days of Mahabali�s rule, a grateful Kerala celebrates his annual homecoming with all the pomp and grandeur it can command.

Ten days of feasting, boat races, songs and dance are part of the festivals. Pookalam or floral decorations are at the entrance of each house marks each day. Earthen mounds look like square pyramids; representing Mahabali and Vishnu are also placed in the dung-plastered courtyards. After traditional prayers and worship, the head of the household presents new clothes to the family and friends. This is followed by a lavish feast.

In Southern India Pongal is a four-day harvest festival and one of the most joyful events. In Tamil Nadu, newly harvested rice is ceremonially cooked. In Karnataka, the festival is called 'Sankranti', and cows and bullocks are gaily decorated and fed on Pongal which is a sweet preparation of rice. In the evening, the cattle are led out in procession to the beat of drums and music.

All the four days of Pongal have their own significance as separate deities are worshipped each day.

On the first day, Bhogi or the Rain God is worshipped. The day begins with an oil bath and in the evening there is a bonfire in which all the rubbish in the house is burnt.

The second day is that of the Surya Pongal. The place where the Pongal puja is to be done, usually the courtyard or open terrace, is washed a day prior to the festival, smeared with cow-dung, and left to dry. Pretty kolams are drawn, which are special to the occasion. At the place where the puja is to be performed, a delicious concoction of rice, moong dal, jaggery and milk is cooked in a new earthenware pot on an open fire. But before that, some fresh ginger is tied around the pot. As the Pongal boils over and spills out of the pot, children waiting for this go around the pot, clapping their hands and crying �Pongalo Pongal�. Once the Pongal is ready, it is tempered with cashew nuts and raisins fried in ghee.

The Pongal is offered, on a new banana leaf along with other traditional delicacies like Vadas, and payasam, to the Sun God in gratitude for bestowing his blessings on the land and the harvest. Sugar cane, grain, sweet potatoes etc. are also offered.

The third day is that of the cattle worship or Mattu Pongal. On this day, the cattle are caparisoned and paraded in the village after they have been offered the Pongal.

The fourth and final day marks the Kanya Pongal, when birds are worshipped. Major attractions of this day are bull and bird fights.

The Sankranti Rath or the chariot is a typical Pongal kolam. Earlier, the ropes of the rath were kept open till the day after Pongal, when all were �joined� from house to house symbolizing a collective desire to realize an uninterrupted cosmic cycle.

This festival is celebrated all over India on the same day, but has different names in each region. However, being a harvest festival, bonfires and feasts are the main thing common to all the celebrations of this festival.

For the People of Coorg in the town of Karnataka in the South of India Puthari or Huthari is the traditional harvest festival known for a variety of folk songs and dances being displayed.

It is observed in November/December. Each village presents its own set of discipline and dances during the annual fairs at its temple, which is the main centre of cultural activities. When the Paddy Crop is ready for the harvest, a little crop is cut, bound in small bunches and handed out to all those present to be taken home and preserved as a sign of prosperity.

The traditional harvest festival of farmers in Kakkoor south of Kochi in South India has its own unique style and Dravidian culture. This is Kakkoor Kalavayal celebrated since the immemorial days.

Kalavayal, which means cattle market, is strongly tied up with the mythical concept of Goddess Sisters of Edapara and Ambassery temples who meet once in every year. Kalavayal has been conducted to commemorate this auspicious day, it is believed.

The four day celebrations of Kalavayal start on the day of asterism, Aswathy, in the lunar month of Kumbam. The exciting event of this festival is Maramady conducted in the concluding day. This shows the physical strength and skills of peasants and their fighters. The sight of the paired oxen racing in the mud followed by a "flogger" and "runner" is enough to drive the spectators in to a fever of excitement.

In India farmers show thanks to their cattle by decorating them with flowers and paint and allowing them to roam in the streets.

Japanese Harvest Festival

In Japan the harvest festival is the rice harvest. None of the rice is to be eaten until a special event has happened. There are dances and a procession and a huge feast.

Koshogatsu means literally "Small New Year" and starts with the first full moon of the year usually around January 15th. The main events of Koshogatsu are rites and practices praying for an ample harvest.

In the autumn harvest festivals are held, and the first fruits of the paddy field are offered to the gods.

In rural villages the entire community celebrates this autumn festival, and in many places floats carrying symbolic gods are paraded through the streets. At the Imperial Palace the Emperor fulfills the role of presenting offerings of new grain and produce to the gods.

The Shinto rites at New Year's were originally festivals at which people prayed for a bountiful harvest in the coming year, and the rice-planting and other paddy-field festivals that are still celebrated throughout Japan also involve prayers for a good harvest. Kimono-clad girls, their sleeves tied back with red sashes, plant the rice, while musicians perform nearby with drums, flutes, and bells. The dance traditionally associated with such festivals gradually evolved as a part of the noh theater.

Yagan Orimi is a traditional harvest festival in Aguni, an island near mainland Okinawa. In recent years, have been visiting the island to see the festival, where islanders offer prayers not only for a good harvest, but, also for the safe delivery of their infants.

In Japan long ago, the new autumn rice harvest could not be eaten until after a festival in honor of the rice spirit. There was dancing, singing and waving of fans. Everyone joined in a great feast. Now that day is a national holiday and it takes place on November 23. The name of the festival has also been changed it is now called Labor Thanksgiving Day. At midnight the Japanese emperor offers the first fruits of autumn at a special altar.

In Japan there is a custom of tsukimi or also known as Moon-viewing which is observed on September 15 at the time of the full moon. Everyone sets up a table facing the horizon so as to see the moon rising, and place offerings on these tables to the spirit of the moon. These offerings include a vase holding the seven grasses of autumn, cooked vegetables and tsukimi dango or moon-viewing dumplings made out of rice flour.

Israeli Harvest Festival

There are many harvest festivals held and all have a religious significance and are based around the Torah which is the laws by which everyone must obey. These laws are how people should behave, how to treat the land so it produces good crops. These festivals are held to show that they honor and follow the teachings of the Torah.

In Israel the Jewish Harvest festival is known as Sukkot or as it is also known Succoth or the Feast of the Tabernacles. This is the day for remembering the journey of the Jews through the desert to the Promised Land. For this day Huts are put up in the synagogues and in people's gardens, families gather in them to eat their meals.

The festival of Sukkot or Succoth lasts for seven days. It recollects the harvesting of the grapes and fruit in Ancient times. In the past most Jews were shepherds or farmers. They lived in the village and walked out each day to tend to their crops. At harvest time they thought it would be better to build shelters in the fields as a lot of time was wasted walking back and forth. This was done to enable maximum time spent harvesting the crops and also as a way of being more profitable.

During the festival there are processions and services held in the synagogues to remind them of how many hundred of years ago the priests would carry palm branches and sing hymns. People carry fruit with them as a reminder of how beautiful things are. In one hand they carry the etrog fruit which is like a lemon only larger. In the right hand a bunch of leaves known as a lulav. This is a palm, willow and myrtle branch. The palm stands for uprightness, the willow stands for humility and the myrtle stands for faithfulness. Together it means brotherhood and peace.

Korean Harvest Festival

The 15th day of the eighth lunar month is Ch'usok, or also known as the Harvest Moon Festival.

Koreans begin the day with rites honoring their ancestors. Offerings are made of newly harvested foods. Songp'yon, crescent-shaped rice cakes stuffed with sesame seeds, chestnut paste or beans, are a Ch'usok favorite.

Families visit the graves of their ancestors to bow and clean the area for the coming winter.

Activities for the day include masked dance, Kanggangsuwollae, an ancient circle dance, tug-of-war game and the tortoise game, kobuk-nori, in which two men dress as a tortoise and tour the village dancing and performing for food and drink.

Most of all, Ch'usok is a time to give thanks for the autumn harvest and reaffirm familial and community ties.

Thanksgiving in Korea people have Ttok (rice cakes) made with the newly harvested rice, and just-picked fruits and nuts such as persimmons, chestnuts, and Chinese dates are used in memorial services for ancestors when Koreans visit their

ancestors' graves. Special foods eaten during Ch'usok are songp'yon, freshly picked fruit, toran-t'ang (taro soup) and song-i (mushrooms).

Chu Suk is a Korean Festival that takes place during the harvest season.

Families travel to their ancestral sites. Memorial services take place and visits of respect are made to the grave site of ancestors. After the Memorial services, there is a special meal to celebrate and be thankful for each other.

The night before Chu Suk is the time for Kang Kang Sue Wol Lae. Kang Kang Sue Wol Lae is a traditional ceremony where women gather in a circle and sing songs.

Other activities that take place during Chu Suk are wrestling, archery, singing folk music, and a game called turtle tag.

Altogether, Chu Suk is a time of feasting and happiness.

Native American Harvest Festival

In South America, many of the native Indian cultures contain expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving, and in modern Brazil a special public day of thanksgiving and prayer has been designated for the fourth Thursday of November every year since 1949.

The Kwanzaa celebration is based on African harvest traditions. Kwanzaa means first fruits in Swahili. The celebration starts on December 26 and lasts for 7 days.

Green Corn Festival or Ceremony is a Native American harvest celebration. Creek, Cherokee, Seminole, Yuchi, and Iroquois Indians as well as other Native American tribes celebrate this ceremony. This ceremony is usually held when their is a full moon, which meant the first corn crop was ready to harvest. The date was not able to be determined ahead of time; it was up to the corn. It is a time to be thankful and also a time of forgiveness.

The ceremony lasts for several days. The holy man was a symbol of health, life, and spiritual power tends a sacred fire. The first few days are known as Busk, people fast, and cleanse themselves and their homes. Men and women drink an herbal concoction, the "Black Drink" was suppose to help cleanse and purify their bodies. Then the first corn harvest is tasted followed by dancing, singing, playing, and feasting. Their are many foods eaten at the feast with an emphasis on the corn such as, roast corn, corn tortillas, corn soup, corn bread.

Their is a ball game which is quite popular in which teams of boys and girls try to hit a target on a large pole. The game varies, from tribe to tribe.

The Creek Indian women perform a Ribbon Dance involving four women appointed by the elder's of the tribe to carry out the dance in which they are adorned with vivid ribbons, rattles, and shells dancing for up to 3 hours.

The Santa Ana Pueblo, located north of Albuquerque, has an annual feast day, held on July 26th with a green corn dance and fiesta.

Harvest Moon or as the Cherokee Indians know it Duninudi is in October at a time of traditional "Harvest Festival" Nowatequa when the people give thanks to all the living things of the fields and earth that helped them live, and to the "Apportioner" Unethlana.

Cheno i-equa or "Great Moon" Festival is customarily held at this time.

The corn harvest referred to as "Ripe Corn Festival" was customarily held in the early part September of the nut moon or Duliidsdi to acknowledge Selu the spirit of the corn. Selu is thought of as First Woman.

The festival respects Mother Earth as well for providing all foods during the growing season. The "Brush Feast Festival" also customarily takes place in this season. All the fruits and nuts of the bushes and trees of the forest were gathered as this time. A wide variety of nuts from the trees went into the nut breads for the various festivals throughout the seasons. Hunting traditionally began in earnest at this time.

In the month of August which is the Fruit Moon month or Galoni the foods of the trees and bushes are gathered. The various "Paint Clans" begin to gather many of the herbs and medicines for which they were historically known.

Green Corn festivals are commonly held at this time in the present day. The "Wild Potato" Clans AniNudawegi, begin harvesting various foods growing along the streams, marshes, lakes and ponds.

The Plains Indians ceremony that celebrates good harvests of grain is picturesque and fanciful. People that participate dress in traditional costumes decorated with woven or painted designs, which have been handed down in families; they also wear a high headdress of feathers, beads, and shells.

Roman Harvest Festival

The Roman celebration of Cerelia which is a harvest festival was dedicated to the honor of Ceres. Ceres was their goddess of corn. It was also an autumnal festival held each year on October 4th. Offerings of the first fruits of the harvest and pigs were made to Ceres. The celebration included music, parades, games and sports and a thanksgiving feast.

June is said to be named after the Roman goddess Juno who was the goddess of fertility and fruitfulness. June was when the grain crops began to ripen and farmers were hoping and praying for a good harvest.

After Mid-summer, the days began to get shorter and in several European countries people would light bonfires to encourage the sun to stay longer, and to keep away witches.

The Vinalia was the wine festival for the vineyard man�s holiday. On this day, the priest called the Flamen Dialis performed the auspicatio vindemiae which means that he plucked the year's first ripe grapes and prayed and sacrificed to the gods, asking that they protect and bless the entirety of the crop.

The history of this wine festival has not been decided by historians as to the link with the goddess Venus. It is said that the Vinalia was held in her honor and that she was invoked on this day. It is also suggested that Venus also ruled growing plants.

List of harvest festivals

Harvest festivals around the world:

Pongal : India Mid-Autumn Festival : China Chuseok : Korea Dongmaeng : Korea Bon Festival : Japan Dożynki Poland Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia Argentina Erntedank : Germany & Austria (1st Sunday in October) Festa e Grurit (Wheat Festival): A festival that used to mark the end of the harvest of wheat in Communist Albania. No

longer observed. Freyfaxi (Aug. 1st): marks the beginning of the harvest in Norse paganism. Historically from Iceland, the celebration

consists of blót, horse races, martial sports, and other events, often dedicated to the god Freyr. Harvest festival : United Kingdom Lammas or Lughnasadh (Aug 1): celebration of first harvest/grain harvest in Paganism and Wicca spirituality and by the

ancient Celts. Mabon (Autumnal Equinox): the second of three recognized harvest sabbats in Paganism and Wicca Mhellia : Isle of Man Mehregan (October 2): Iran, Ancient Persia Annual Harvest Festival of Prosser, Washington, celebrated on the 4th full weekend in September Samhain (October 31): the third and final of three recognized harvest sabbats in Paganism and Wicca; celebration of the

end of the harvest season and beginning of the Celtic New Year. Solung : falls between June and July for nine days. The Adi (also Abor) is a major collective tribe living in the Himalayan

hills of Arunachal Pradesh Sukkot : Jewish harvest festival lasting eight days in the fall, in which time is spent in tabernacles or booths Hasyl toýy :Turkmenistan - the holiday on the last Sunday in November. Timoleague : Harvest Festival is held every year in August - Tigh Molaige in Irish

Ikore : celebrated by the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria Khuado Pawi : celebrated by the Chin tribe of India, Burma and recently in the USA and many other parts of the world. Bénichon : celebrated (usually by huge 7 course menu) in catholic parts of the french-speaking Switzerland is a combined

harvest festival, thanksgiving and Rindya (the day when the animals are brought back from the high altitude pastures in the alps and where all villagers are therefore back). See fr:Bénichon.

[edit] North America

Duneland Harvest Festival : celebrated the last weekend in September in Porter, Indiana, near Chicago. Harvest Festival (United States) : celebrated by American Christians on October 31st Thanksgiving (United States) : the holiday on the fourth Thursday in November. Thanksgiving (Canada) : the holiday on the second Monday in October.

[edit] South Asia

Bhogali Bihu : (or Magh Bihu) is a harvest festival celebrated in Assam which marks the end of harvesting season in mid-January.

Lohri : celebrated in North India esp. Punjab Nabanna : Bengal region which comprises West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh Onam : celebrated by Malayali people in Kerala (India) and other places Pongal : celebrated by Tamil people in Tamil Nadu (India) and other places Sankranthi or Makar Sankranti: Celebrated in several regions of India including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,

Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh Vaisakhi (or Baisakhi): celebrated by Punjabi people in Punjab (India), other parts of North India and elsewhere. The

festival falls on the first day of Vaisakh month (usually mid-April), and marks the Punjabi New Year. Traditional New Year celebrations in Sri Lanka coincides with the harvest festival in mid-April. Dree Festival is a agricultural festival of the Apatanis of Ziro valley in Lower Subansiri District of Arunachal Pradesh,

which is celebrated every year from 4th to 7th July.

[edit] South East Asia

Flores de Mayo  :Flower festival in the Philippines Gawai Dayak : Malaysia Kaamatan (May 30-31), Sabah in Malaysia Maras Taun : Belitung in Indonesia Mid-Autumn Festival : Vietnam Pahiyas Rice festival in the Philippines

Harvest festival

A harvest festival is an annual celebration which occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region. Given the differences in climate and crops around the world, harvest festivals can be found at various times throughout the world. Harvests festivals typically feature feasting, both family and public, with foods that are drawn from crops that come to maturity around the time of the festival. Ample food and freedom from the necessity to work in the fields are two central features of harvest festivals: eating, merriment, contests, music and romance are common features of harvest festivals around the world. In Asia, the Chinese Moon Festival (中秋節) is one of the most widely-spread harvest festivals in the world. In India, Pongal in January, Holi in February-March and Onam in August-September are a few famous harvest festivals. In North America, Canada and the US each have their own Thanksgiving celebrations in October and November. Numerous religious holidays, such as Sukkot, have their roots in harvest festivals.

In Britain, thanks have been given for successful harvests since pagan times. The celebrations on this day usually include singing hymns, praying, and decorating churches with baskets of fruit and food in the festival known as Harvest Festival, Harvest Home or Harvest Thanksgiving.

In British churches, chapels and schools and in Canadian churches, people bring in food from the garden, the allotment or farm. The food is often distributed among the poor and senior citizens of the local community, or used to raise funds for the church, or charity.

In the USA, many churches also bring in food from the garden or farm in order to celebrate the harvest. The festival is set for a specific day and has become a national holiday known as Thanksgiving. In both Canada and the USA it has also become a national secular holiday with religious origins, but in Britain it is both a Church festival giving thanks to God for the harvest, and a more secular festival remembered in schools.

The Harvest Festival in Britain

Harvest is from the Anglo-Saxon word harvest, "Autumn". It then came to refer to the season for reaping and gathering grain and other grown products. The full moon nearest the autumnal equinox is called the Harvest Moon [1] . So in ancient traditions Harvest Festivals were traditionally held on or near the Sunday of the Harvest Moon.

Thai Pongal

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For the dish, see Pongal (dish).

This article contains Indic text. Without proper rendering

support, you may see question marks or boxes, misplaced

vowels or missing conjuncts instead of Indic text.

Pongal

பொ��ங்கல்

Observed by Tamils / Indians

Type Festival, Tamilnadu, India, Yazh Thamizhakam, Sri Lanka

Significance Harvest festival. Thanking Nature for prosperity

Date First day of Thai in the Tamil calendar

2009 date 14 January

Celebrations Feasting, gift-giving, visiting homes

Thai Pongal is a harvest festival event celebrated by Tamils across the world. Pongal coincides with the festival Makara Sankranthi celebrated in various parts of India. Pongal in Tamil means "boiling over or spill over." The act of boiling over of milk in the clay pot is considered to denote future wishes for the family.

Makara Sankranti/Thai Pongal celebrates the resumption of the sun's 'journey northwards' where the days get longer. Tamil Hindus dedicate the first grain harvested to the sun on this 'Surya Mangalya'. The celebration of Makara Sankranti/Pongal is not confined to the Tamils. It is a pan-Indic event described in the Mahabharata. Bhishma chose to leave his mortal coils when the sun turned

direction northwards - also known as the Uttarayana. Makara Sankranti is referred to in the Surya Siddhanta. The Dharma Shastras mention Makara Sankranti. January 14 represents the climax of the Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh Mela. It is a traditional holiday/harvest in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa, Maharashtra, Nepal, the Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu,Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

Custom

Traditionally celebrated at harvest time, it's a celebration of the prosperity associated with the harvest by thanking the sun god, rain and the farm animals that have helped in the harvest. In villages, new clothes are worn and people owning cows find this festival important. Pongal is celebrated by the Indian state of Tamil Nadu as well as Tamils worldwide, including those in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius, South Africa, USA, Canada and Singapore. The festival is at least 1000 years old although some believe that the festival is more than 2000 years old. As per epigraphic evidence, it used to be celebrated as Puthiyeedu during Medieval Chola empire days. It is thought that Puthiyeedu meant the first harvest of the year. [1][2][3] Tamils refer to Pongal as "Tamizhar Thirunal" (meaning "the festival of Tamils"). This festival originated in Tamil Nadu. The saying "Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum" (தை� பி�றந்��ல் வழி� பி�றக்கும்) meaning "the birth of the month of Thai will pave the way for new opportunities" is often quoted regarding the Pongal festival. Usually, the festival takes place January 12 — 15 (on the Gregorian calendar). The festival is celebrated four days from the last day of the Tamil month Maargazhi (December — January) to the third day of Thai (January — February). The first day, Bhogi, is celebrated by throwing away and destroying old clothes and materials, by setting them on fire, marking the end of the old Thai and the emergence of the new Thai.

The second day, Pongal, is the main day, falling on the first day of the Tamil month Thai (January 14 — 15). Also known as Sarkarai Pongal or Veetu Pongal, it is celebrated by boiling rice with fresh milk and jaggery in new pots, which are later topped with brown sugar, cashew nuts and raisins early in the morning and allowing it to boil over the vessel. This tradition gives Pongal its name.[3]

Kolam decorations in front of house during Thai Pongal

The moment the rice boils over and bubbles out of the vessel, the tradition is to shout of "Ponggalo Ponggal!" and blowing the sangu (a conch), a custom practiced during the festival to announce it was going to be a year blessed with good tidings. For Tamils, it is considered a good sign to watch it boil over, since it means that good luck and prosperity is forthcoming. Then New boiled rice is offered to the Nature during sunrise, a gesture which symbolises thanks to the sun and nature for providing prosperity. It is later served to the people present in the house for the ceremony. People also prepare savories and sweets such as vadai, murukku, payasam and visit each other and exchange greetings.

The third day, Maattu Pongal, is for offering thanks to cattle, as they help farmer in different ways for agriculture. On this day the cattle are decorated with paint, flowers and bells. They are allowed to roam free and fed sweet rice and sugar cane. Some people decorate the horns with gold or other metallic covers. In some places, Jallikattu, or taming the wild bull contest, is the main event of this day and this is mostly seen in the villages.

During the final day, Kaanum Pongal (the word kaanum means "to view") people visit their relatives, friends to enjoy the festive season, but in the cities this day is synonymous with people flocking to beaches and theme parks to have a day out with their families. They also chew sugar cane and decorate their houses with kolam. This day is a day to thank relatives and friends for their support in the harvest. Although it started as a farmers festival, today it has become a national festival for all Tamils irrespective of their origins, caste or even religion. It is as popular in urban areas as is in rural areas.

Pongal is the one of the biggest festival in Tamilnadu. There will be 3 or 4 days continuous holidays announced by state government.

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அறுவிலை�த் தா$ருந�ள் - ஒரு உலகப்   ��ர்லைவி

ஜ�வர� 17, 2007 இல் 12:41 பி�ற்பிகல் (அறுவதைடத் �%ருநா�ள் )

( இந்�வ�ர �மி�மேழி�தை7 நா����ழி�ன் இதைணப்பி�� க�ஞ்7+�ம் இ�ழி�ல் பொவ����� எ�து கட்டுதைர )

�மி�ழிர்க��ன் கல�ச்7�ர அதைட���மி�ய் நா%மி�ர்ந்து நா%ற்க%றது பொபி�ங்கல் வ�ழி�. �மி�ழிகம், இலங்தைக மேபி�ன்ற �மி�ழிர் வ�ழும் நா�டுக��ல் மிட்டுமில்ல�மில் �மி�ழிர்கள் புலம்பொபி�ர்ந்துள்� இடங்க��லும் பொபி�ங்கல் வ�ழி�வ�தை�க் பொக�ண்ட�டி �ங்கள் இ�, 7மூக, கல�ச்7�ர, வ�ழ்வ��ல் அதைட���ங்கள் பொ��தைலந்து மேபி�க�மில் பி�ர்த்துக் பொக�ள்க%ற�ர்கள். சுமி�ர் ஐம்பிது நா�டுக��ல் இன்று �மி�ழிர்கள் �ங்கள் வ�ழி�தைவக் பொக�ண்ட�டுக%ற�ர்கள்.

7ங்கக�லமி�� க%.மு இருநூறுக்கும் க%.பி� முன்னூறுக்கும் இதைடப்பிட்ட க�லத்�%மேலமே� �மி�ழிர்கள் பொபி�ங்கல் வ�ழி� பொக�ண்ட�டி���க நாம்பிப்பிடுக%றது. அறுவதைட வ�ழி�வ�கக் பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடும் பொபி�ங்கல், �ங்களுக்கு நால்ல வ�தை�ச்7தைலக் பொக�டுத்� இ�ற்தைகக்கும், இதைறவனுக்கும் நான்ற+ பொ7லுத்�வும், �ங்கள் கவதைலகதை� வ�லக்க% பு�%� பி�ணத்தை�த் துவங்கவும் பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%றது. மி�ங்களுக்கு அப்பி�ற்பிட்ட ஒற்றுதைமி��ன் வ�ழி�வ�கக் பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடும் இந்� வ�ழி� �ன்�கத்மே� நா�ன்கு வ�ழி�க்கதை�க் பொக�ண்டிருக்க%றது.

�மி�ழிகத்�%ல் பொபி�ங்கல் வ�ழி� பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடும் அமே� நா���ல் இந்�%�� முழுவதும் அறுவதைட வ�ழி� பில பொபி�ர்க��ல் பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%றது. வட இந்�%��வ�ல் லமேக�ர� என்றும், அஸ்ஸா�மி�ல் மேபி�க�லி பி�கு என்றும், உத்�ர பி�ரமே�7ம், குஜர�த், மிஹா�ர�ஷ்டிர� மிற்றும் பீக�ர�ல் மிகர் 7ங்கர�ந்�% என்றும், ஆந்�%ர�வ�ல் மேபி�க% என்றும் இந்� வ�ழி� பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%றது. மேகர��வ�ல் இந்� நா���ல் ��ன் மிதைல��ல் மிகர மேஜ��% ஏற்றப்பிட்டு வழி�பிடப்பிடுக%றது.

தை� நீர�டல் என்னும் பொபி�ங்கல் வ�ழி�வ�ன் முன்மே��டிதை�க் குற+த்� பொ7ய்�%கள் க%.பி� நா�ன்க�ம் நூற்ற�ண்டு – எட்ட�ம் நூற்ற�ண்தைடச் மே7ர்ந்� இலக்க%�ங்க��� ஆண்ட�ள் �%ருப்பி�தைவ, �%ருபொவம்பி�தைவ மேபி�ன்ற இலக்க%�ங்க��ல் குற+ப்பி�டப்பிட்டுள்��.

பொபி�ங்கல் வ�ழி� �மி�ழிர் வ�ழி�வ�க பொபிருதைமியுடன் பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடும் அமே� மேவதை���ல் பொபி�ங்கல் வ�ழி�வ�ன் அர்த்�த்துட��� வ�ழி�க்கள் உலபொகங்கும் பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%ன்ற�.

ஆ�%க�லத்�%மேலமே� வ�வ7���கள் அறுவதைட வ�ழி� பொக�ண்ட�டுவதை� வழிக்கமி�கக் பொக�ண்டிருந்��ர்கள். இ�ற்குப் பில க�ரணங்கள் இருந்��. பி��ர்க��ல் ஆவ�கள் இருப்பி��கவும் அதைவ மி�ம் கு��ர்ந்��ல் வ�தை�ச்7ல் அமேமி�கமி�கவும், இல்தைலமே�ல் குதைறவ�கவும் இருக்கும் என்று மிக்கள் நாம்பி���ர்கள். அதுமேபி�ல ஒவ்பொவ�ரு பி��ருக்கும் ஒவ்பொவ�ரு க�வல் மே�வதை� இருப்பி��கவும் அ���டம் மேவண்டு�ல் பொ7ய்��ல் அறுவதைட அ�%கர�க்கும் என்றும் நாம்பி���ர்கள். அறுவதைட பொ7ய்யும்மேபி�து பி��ர்க��லுள்� ஆவ� மேக�பிமிதைடயும் என்பிதும், அந்�க் மேக�பித்தை� குதைறக்க அவற்றுக்குப் பிதைட�ல் பொ7லுத்� மேவண்டும் என்பிதும் கூட ஆ�%��ல் இருந்� நாம்பி�க்தைகக��ல் ஒன்று.

இ��டிப்பிதைட��ல் ��ன் ஆ�%��ல் அறுவதைட வ�ழி�க்கள் இ�ற்தைகக்கும், இ�ற்தைகதை�ப் பிர�மிர�க்கும் பொ�ய்வங்களுக்கும் ஆ�ந்�மி��ப்பி�ற்க�க நாடத்�ப்பிட்ட�. க%மேரக்க, மேர�மி, எக%ப்�%�, எபி�மேர�க் கல�ச்7�ரங்கள் பில ஆ��ரம் ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்மேபி அறுவதைட வ�ழி� பொக�ண்ட�டி��ருக்க%ன்ற�.

பொக�ர���வ�ல் அறுவதைட வ�ழி� சூ7�க் என்னும் பொபி�ர�ல் பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%றது. பொ7ப்டம்பிர், அக்மேட� பிர் மி��ங்க��ல் பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடும் இந்� வ�ழி� நான்ற+ வ�ழி�வ�க பொக�ர�� மிக்க��ல் பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%றது.

ஜப்பி����ர்கள் நாவம்பிர் மி��த்�%ல் மேட� ர�-மே��-இச்7+ என்னும் பொபி�ர�ல் அறுவதைட வ�ழி� பொக�ண்ட�டுக%ற�ர்கள். இரவு முழுதும் ஆட்டம் பி�ட்டமி�ய் இந்� வ�ழி� குதூகலமூட்டுக%றது.

அபொமிர�க்க�வ�ல் நாவம்பிர் மி��த்�%ன் நா�ன்க�வது வ���ழிக் க%ழிதைமி நான்ற+ பொ7லுத்தும் வ�ழி� பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%றது. சுமி�ர் நா�னூறு ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்மேபி ஆரம்பி�க்கப்பிட்ட இந்� வ�ழி� வ�தை�ச்7லுக்க�க இதைறவனுக்கு நான்ற+ பொ7லுத்தும் வ�ழி�வ�கக் பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%றது. இந்� வ�ழி�வ�ல்

மிக்கள் வ�ழ்த்துக்கள் பிர�மி�ற+க் பொக�ள்க%ற�ர்கள். அபொமிர�க்க� வழி� பொ7ல்லும் க�ட�வ�ல் அக்மேட� பிர் மி��ம் இரண்ட�வது �%ங்கட் க%ழிதைமி இந்� வ�ழி� பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%றது.

தை7��வ�ல் மிக்கள் ஆகஸ்ட் நா%ல� வ�ழி� பொக�ண்ட�டுக%ற�ர்கள். இந்� வ�ழி�வ�ன் முக்க%� உணவ�� மூன்மேகக்குகதை� மிக்கள் பிக%ர்ந்து, பிர�7��த்து மிக%ழ்க%ற�ர்கள்.

வ��ட்நா�மி�ல் – பொ�ட் �%ரங் து என்னும் பொபி�ர�ல் எட்ட�வது லூ��ர் மி��த்�%ன் பி�%தை�ந்��ம் நா���ல் பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%றது. பொபிற்மேற�ர் �ங்கள் வ�வ7�� க�லம் முடிந்து குழிந்தை�களுடன் ஆ�ந்�மி�ய் ஒன்ற+த்�%ருக்கும் வ�ழி�வ�க இந்� வ�ழி� அதைமிந்து குழிந்தை�கதை� தைமி�ப்பிடுத்துக%றது.

இஸ்மேரலில் எபி�மேர� மி��மி�� �%ஸ்ர���ன் பி�%தை�ந்��வது நா�ள் சுக்மேக�த் வ�ழி� பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%றது. அறுவதைட வ�ழி�வ�� இது நான்ற+ பொ�ர�வ�த்�ல் வ�ழி�வ�கவும் பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%றது. சுமி�ர் மூவ���ரம் ஆண்டுக��க யூ�ர்கள் இந்� அறுவதைட வ�ழி�தைவக் பொக�ண்ட�டி வருக%ற�ர்கள். இந்� வ�ழி� இன்று க%ற+ஸ்�வர்க��லும் பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%றது.

ஆப்பி�ர�க்க�வ�ல் ��ம் என்னும் பொபி�ருடன் இந்� வ�ழி� நாதைடபொபிறுக%றது. இந்� வ�ழி� ஆப்பி�ர�க்க�வ�ல் 7+ல பிகு�%க��ல் மூன்று நா�ட்கள் நாடக்க%றது. இறந்து மேபி�� உறவ��ர்கதை� நா%தை�வு கூரும் நா%கழ்வுடன் ஆரம்பி�க்கும் இந்� வ�ழி� நால்ல வ�தை�ச்7தைலத் �ந்� இதைறவனுக்கு, இ�ற்தைகக்கும் நான்ற+ பொ7லுத்துக%றது. இரட்தைட�ர்கள், மூவர் மு�ல�மே��ர் இதைறவ��ன் 7+றப்புப் பிர�சுக��கக் கரு�ப்பிட்டு இந்� வ�ழி�வ�ல் பொபிருதைமிப்பிடுத்�ப் பிடுவதுண்டு.

மேர�மிர்கள் அக்மேட� பிர் நா�ன்க�ம் நா�ள் பொ7ர�லி�� என்னும் வ�ழி�தைவக் பொக�ண்ட�டுக%ற�ர்கள். இது �ங்களுக்கு நால்ல வ�தை�ச்7தைலக் பொக�டுத்��ற்க�க மே7��ப் பி��ர�ன் பொபிண் பொ�ய்வமி�� சீரஸ் என்பிவருக்கு நான்ற+ பொ7லுத்தும் வ�ழி�. �ங்கள் பொ�ய்வத்துக்கு பு�%� க�ய்கற்கள், பிழிங்கள் , பின்ற+ மேபி�ன்றவற்தைறப் பிதைடத்து, இதை7, வ�தை���ட்டு, நாட�ம் எ� வ�ழி�தைவ பொக�ண்ட�டுக%ற�ர்கள். வ���லி�� என்பொற�ரு வ�ழி�தைவயும் இவர்கள் பொக�ண்ட�டுக%ற�ர்கள். �ங்கள் �%ர�ட்தை7த் மே��ட்டங்க��ல் வ�தை�யும் மு�ல் �%ர�ட்தை7க் குதைலதை� இதைறவனுக்குப் பிதைடத்து அந்� வ�தை�ச்7ல் க�லத்தை� ஆசீர்வ�%க்க ஆண்டவதை� மேவண்டுக%ற�ர்கள்.

எக%ப்�%�ர்கள் வ�தை�ச்7ல் வ�ழி�வ�ல் க�ய்கற+கள் மிற்றும் வ�ம் �ரும் கடவு��� மி�ன் வழி�பி�டு பொபிறுக%ற�ர். இதை7, நாட�ம் எ� மேக�ல�கலப் பிடுக%றது எக%ப்�%�ர்க��ன் இந்� அறுவதைட வ�ழி�.

ஆஸ்�%மேரலி��வ�லும் ஏப்பி�ரல் மி�� கதைட7+��ல் �%ர�ட்தை7 அறுவதைட வ�ழி�வும், ஜ�வர� மி��த்�%ல் ல�வண்டர் மிலர் அறுவதைட வ�ழி�வும், மி�ர்ச் மி��த்�%ல் ஆப்பி�ள் அறுவதைட வ�ழி�வும், டி7ம்பிர் – ஜ�வர� க�லத்�%ல் மேக�துதைமி அறுவதைட வ�ழி�வும் பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுவது பில இடங்க��ல் வழிக்கத்�%ல் உள்�து.

பொஜர்மி����ல் அறுவதைட வ�ழி� அக்மேட� பிர்வ�ழி� என்று அதைழிக்கப்பிடுக%றது. இந்� வ�ழி� �%ர�ட்தை7 அறுவதைட��ன் கதைட7+��ல் பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%றது. அக்மேட� பிர் மி��த்�%ன் மு�ல் ஞ���ற்றுக் க%ழிதைமி இந்� வ�ழி� பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%றது. வண்ண மி�மி�� மேபிரண�களும், நாட�ங்களும் இந்� வ�ழி�வ�ல் முக்க%� இடம் பி�டிக்க%ன்ற�.

மிமேலஷிX��வ�ல் ஜYன் மி��ம் இரண்ட�ம் நா�ள் அறுவதைட வ�ழி� பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%றது. அர�7+ வ�தை�ச்7லுக்க�க கடவுளுக்கு நான்ற+ பொ7லுத்தும் வ�ழி�வ�க இந்� வ�ழி� பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%றது. பு�%� அர�வ�ள்களுடன் அறுவதைட பொ7ய்து, வ�ல்பொவ��க��ல் கூடி இந்� வ�ழி�தைவ இவர்கள் பொக�ண்ட�டுக%ற�ர்கள்.

இங்க%ல�ந்�%ல் அறுவதைடவீடு என்னும் பொபி�ர�ல் இந்� வ�ழி� பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%றது. பொ7ப்டம்பிர் மி��ம் பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடும் இந்� வ�ழி�வ�ல் பிழிங்கதை�யும், க�ய்கற+கதை�யும் இதைறவனுக்குப் பிதைடக்கும் வ�ழி�வ�கவும், நான்ற+ பொ7லுத்தும் வ�ழி�வ�கவும் இது பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடுக%றது. ஆல�ங்கதை� எல்ல�ம் அலங்கர�த்து மிக்கள் அறுவதைட பொ7ழி�க்கமேவண்டுபொமின்று இதைறவதை� மேவண்டுக%ற�ர்கள்.

இவ்வ�று உலபொகங்கும் பொக�ண்ட�டப்பிடும் அறுவதைட வ�ழி�க்கள் இ�ற்தைகமே��டு மி���னுக்கு உர�� பொ��டர்தைபியும், இதைறவமே��டும் 7க மி���மே��டும் மி���ன் பொக�ள்க%ன்ற உறதைவயும் பொவ��ப்பிடுத்துபிதைவ��க �%கழ்க%ன்ற�. எந்� ஒரு வ�ழி�வும் பொவறும் அதைட���த்தை� மிட்டும் அண�ந்து பொக�ண்டு அ�ன் அர்த்�த்தை� இழிந்து வ�டுபொமி��ல் பி��ற்ற��க% வ�டுக%றது. வ�ழி�க்கள் அ�ன் அர்த்�ங்கதை� அற+ந்து பொக�ள்� அதைழிப்பு வ�டுக்க%ன்ற�. மி���மே��டும், இ�ற்தைகமே��டும், இதைறவமே��டும் பொக�ண்டுள்� உறதைவ உறு�%ப்பிடுத்�வும், சீரதைமிக்கவும் இந்� வ�ழி�க்கள் நாமிக்கு அதைழிப்பு வ�டுக்க%ன்ற�.