Harvest Home Festival

Written by Pookas Kreations

The Harvest Home Festival is the final harvest festival of the year. It is a very important time of the year for the Tree Gnomes, it helps them know that they have collected enough food to last them the long winter to come. Also allowing them to celebrate this fact with friends and family.

History

This festival began as a large family dinner after a long harvest season. It was mostly a barbecue and drinking party. Originally it was a 1-2 day, but now it stretches into a week-long one. Commonly people traveled to each family's house to sample their specialty dishes and brews. Until one person suggested that everyone get together on the village green and celebrate together in one place.

Execution

Each year different families are chosen to do specific jobs to get ready for the festival. The main jobs are gathering the wood, slaughtering the animals, gathering the fruits and vegetables, setting up the tables, etc. These all happened over the previous week.

Participants

The village shaman, elders, family elders, king, queen, and jester of the festival.

Observance

The rites are observed as the sun goes down, or when the shaman chooses the best time. The bonfire is lit sometime between noon and 6 pm, but the cooking fires run most of the day to cook the food to be eaten. First harvest tables with fruits, grains, and vegetables, are set out early on near the forest edge in case the animals want to each of them. Whatever is left with be eaten at lunch and dinner along with the meats and side dishes.

various types of alcohol, such as:

• nettle beer
• elderflower cordial
• mead
• perry
• metheglin
• ale
• cider

Common food to be found at this harvest festival:

• colcannon
• roasted vegetables
• barley soup
• oatcakes, bannock, various breads
• roasted nuts
• various kinds of cheese
• pumpkin, apple pies, and other assorted types
• roasted nuts
• roast pork loin
• venison stew
• sausages
• lamb chops in mint sauce
• salmon with butter and herbs

Primary Related Location

Treelands

Important Locations

• Treelandia

Common games include:

• bobbing for apples
• various arts and crafts such as corn dollies, brigid's cross, scarecrows
• acorn hunt
• athletic contests: axe and javelin throwing, foot races, horse races, jumping, swimming, wrestling, jumping the fire, mock battles, tug-of-war, hurling, shinty
• hunting, fishing

Other events often included:

• fortune telling
• costume, cooking, drinking, eating, music, dancing contest
• sacrifices and offerings to the gods
• bonfire lighting
• feast of the new food
• an offering of first fruits
• animal showing: dogs, horses, other animals
• best foods grown
• scavenger hunt
• board games
• matchmaking
• trading
• various crafts: clay, sewing, leatherworking, metalworking