Celebrating the Harvest Around the World

A harvest festival is a celebration of the fall months and the harvest that often accompanies these months. Many countries celebrate harvest festivals in different forms.

Canada

In Canada, people celebrate their harvest on Thanksgiving. This tradition is said to date back to the 16th century. The English explorer Martin Frobisher(1535—1594) came upon the land, searching for the “New World”. As he arrived in Canada in 1578, he celebrated surviving the long journey by holding a formal celebration and eating salt beef and peas. Today, it has become a recognized holiday in the country that falls on the second Monday in October. On Thanksgiving, most return home to gather with their family. One of the highlights(高潮) of the holiday is a big Thanksgiving Day meal, which usually includes turkey and bread, which are prepared and presented in a unique Canadian way.

The United Kingdom

Harvest festival activities are considered a special time for communities to come together in celebration. The harvest festival may start with carrying baskets of fruits and vegetables to a local church where people sing praise songs for a healthy harvest while praying for future harvests. A special effort may be made to give food to the less fortunate. Large dinners may also be hosted where each member brings a special dish to share with each other.

China

In 2023, the Farmers’ Harvest Festival was launched in China. It’s held on the day of the autumn equinox(秋分), which falls roughly on Sept. 22 or 23. Every year, a range of events are organized nationwide. In Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, farmers brought 100 seed varieties to the main site of the ceremony in Hanhu District and placed them in a wall to mark the achievements of the seed industry. In Heilongjiang Province, the festival was combined with local traditions of the Daur people and the locals danced around bonfires.

【小题1】Originally, Thanksgiving was celebrated in Canada for        .

A．their harvest	B．finding the new world
C．surviving the long journey	D．gathering with their family

【小题2】Harvest festival activities may be held in the UK EXCEPT        .

A．attending a church service	B．donating food to the poor
C．sharing food at a dinner party	D．dancing around bonfires

【小题3】Which of the following statements is probably NOT true?

A．Different countries celebrate their harvest in different ways.

B．There are similarities in celebrating the harvest among different places.

C．The Farmers’ Harvest Festival is an annually nationwide thing in China.

D．Local traditions are included in celebrating the harvest around China.