Harvest Festival starts here!

[cambrensis]

Today is the first "Ember Day" of the year!


The term "ember" is a corruption of the Latin word "tempora" which means "times/seasons". There are three days marking each season - Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The days are related to Christianity: Wednesday for betrayal, Friday for death and Saturday for entombment.


Ember days work out as follows:
Spring - the three days I've named after Ash Wednesday, so today is the first Ember Day of the year (4th, 6th and 7th March). These three days celebrate the return of light and rebirth (nature rather than anything else);
Summer - after Pentecost...Celebration of the grain harvest (predominantly wheat);
Autumn - after the Feast of Holy Cross (September 14) (grape harvest)
Winter - after St Lucy's Day (December 13th) (olive harvest).


I've only been at a table where an Ember Day was being observed on one occasion. It was very embarrassing as I knew nothing of it and both my friend and I were under the age of 21 so it would not have applied. We were eating the mixed grill his mother had prepared while his parents ate dried toast.


Obviously, the origin of these days lies in Ancient Rome and is pre-Christian. Clearly they are to do with crops and harvesting. They are the origin of the "Harvest Festival" as we now know it.


They are not mentioned currently in the Roman Church as they were officially dropped in the 1960s. However, a little research reveals that some groups within the Western Church still observe these days. This is entirely up to them, of course. Personally, I'll stick to the official fast days and play the "age" card if I find I cannot cope! I shall celebrate the chip harvest!

[HerMajesty]

Again - fascinating! I had not heard of Ember Days. So why were the parents eating dried toast, and you guys weren't?

How does one observe Ember Day? or Days?

[cambrensis]

Again - fascinating! I had not heard of Ember Days. So why were the parents eating dried toast, and you guys weren't?

How does one observe Ember Day? or Days?

The age of majority back then was 21, and we were about 20 years of age. Only an adult was allowed to make such a decision for him/herself. Children needed building up!!

Celebration was really attending Church at some point during the day to give thanks for whatever the harvest was, and fasting, which usually means refraining from meat at meals on that day. Packing three in so close together seems overkill to me!