Harvest festival

It is a folk festival connected with church

celebration at the end of reaping time. In pagan time, it was an ethnical slavonic festival held in the autumn equinox, on

23rd September.

Harvest, which crowns the entire year's work, is a significant event, especially in the farming areas of Gliwice County and that is why it always has been connected with a joyous celebration known as the harvest festival (dożynki).In the past, the custom was celebrated by wealthy farmers who kept seasonal workers.

Dożynki was started by bringing harvest wreath, made of different kinds of grains, to the owner of the fields where the wheat grows. The main part of celebration was the party and food organized by the owner of the field. Nowadays the tradition of celebration is still alive, but the festival is organized by the village headmen or local authorities.

The main element of celebrations is a thanksgiving Holly Mass, including the

sacrifice and blessing of the crop.

For this celebration, harvest crowns are made of corn ears, sometimes combined with hay or

straw.

The most important person is a master of ceremony chosen from the biggest and the most

significant farmers. It's a great honour.

The master of ceremony passes on harvest bread, blessed by the priest, and promises "to

divide it honestly". In Gliwice County, 8 breads are baked and blessed, one for each

community.

Dożynki is celebrated by everyone in the village - enormous straw puppets are left at the entrance

to the village, bridges and fences and farm machines are decorated.

However, the highlight of the harvest festival is the colourful harvest parade, which is joined by representatives of all

community groups- mostly local authorities, schools, kindergardens, non-governmental organizations - farmers displaying farming

equipment, animals as well as enacting various scenes. Also important are amusing and funny slogans created by farmers and

presented on carts and tractors. The parade is commented on by a master of ceremony,

who introduces all the participants in the parade and welcomes each of them with a

kind comment.

HARVEST FESTIVAL IN

CZĘSTOCHOWA

Thousands of farmers always take a part in a

harvest festival in Częstochowa with a

company of the President of Poland. Representatives of

farmers from all Poland bring decorated harvest

wreaths.