The Ancient Origins Of Thanksgiving

Publish date: 2024-05-06

Celtic cultures commemorated the harvest with a festival dedicated to Lugh, the god of light, son of the sun. He transferred his power each year into the grain grown by the Celts and thus was sacrificed when the grain was harvested but later reborn (via Ancient Origins). Per Britannica, myths about and tributes to Lugh existed in modern-day France and the Netherlands, as well as Ireland and Wales. Unlike American Thanksgiving, this festival happened at the beginning of the harvest. A separate one occurred at the end, according to Ancient Origins.

Despite their proximity to Celtic lands, the Pilgrims would have, of course, been most influenced by English traditions. According to Countryfile Magazine, English harvest festivals predated Christianity. Some can be attributed to Saxon farmers, who believed the spirit of the corn resided in the last sheath harvested each year. They would make dolls out of this last sheath and keep them until the next year to assure another good harvest. This tradition persists in some parts of England, and corn sheaths are sometimes made into other shapes, too (via The Countryside Charity).

Medieval celebrations of Michaelmas caused harvest festivals to become more common in England. Celebrated on September 29, it represented the end of the harvest and was commemorated with a big feast (per Countryfile Magazine). In more modern times, harvest festivals in England have occurred on the Sunday closest to the harvest moon — the full moon around the time of the autumnal equinox. The meals included different meats and vegetables along with desserts and ale. While originally hosted at a farmer's home, they've shifted to being celebrated at churches, apparently to contain the "unrestrained riot and excess" that occurred at the festivals (via Countryfile Magazine).

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