Harvest Thanksgiving in Germany
October 4 · Level 6 · #1075 of 2238
Germany's harvest thanksgiving, Erntedankfest, celebrates the food the land provides and the people who grow it. Church observances and rural traditions come together, with each community giving the occasion its own local character.
How it is celebrated: churches display fruit, vegetables and grain during thanksgiving services. Some towns and villages organise processions, fairs and shared meals, and produce may be donated to people in need.
A distinctive decoration is the Erntekrone, a large crown woven from ears of grain. Makers may combine several cereal crops, turning the harvest itself into a centrepiece.