The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-12-08
HARVEST THANKSGIVING
CELEBRATING THE CLOSE OF THE
HARVEST IN GERMANY.

Blessing-Merry-making.
In Germany, writes Mary Gorden in
the New York Observer, the close of the
harvest is celebrated by the "Ernte-
dankfest," or harvest thanksgiving. 1t
is not general festival like its Ameri-
can relative. In New England each
farmer is owner and master of the bit of
land from which, by the sweat of his
brow, he keeps the thorns and thlstles,
and thus all the little proprjetors may be
United and centered like a composite
flower, and blossom out into one general
thanks giving. But in Germany the land
remains chiefly in large estates, and the
extent of these domains places the own
ers so far asunder that it would be diff
cult to unite them in one common idea
Almost every castle has, nestled down
just beyond the confines of its park, a
little village or ''dorf, p" where the people
live who do the work, and help carry on
the estate Of the gentleman. Each viii
lage has its church, parsonage and
school-house, but the church affairs,
as well as the educational, are largely
in the hands of the lord. The feudal
idea was long since exploded in
Germany, but when the explosion took
place many particles of the Old system
remained in the air, with something of
the fabulous vitality ascribed to atoms
of musk, for the atmosphere about these
large isolated estates is still charged
with them, and they are very perceptlble
to one stepping into that air from the
untainted, almost irreverent atmosphere
of America. Everything centres IN the
"Herr" or lord. The dwellers in the
little village regard the dwellers in the
castle as q race of superior beings. Even
the clergyman makes a humble classifica-
tion of himself when in the presence of
this representative of long line of
landed proprietors, and holds it great
honor, annually or semi-annually, to be
hidden to leave his simple parsonage
board and sit at the castle feast When
the nobleman and his family drive out,
the peasant pauses with barred head while
the carriage passes and follows it with
a look of pride at the thought that he
has served its proprietor so long that his
grandfather served his masters grand
father, and so back through the respec-
tive grandfathers of generations.
Each proprietor having many people
under him-often hundreds-arrange
the Harvest Festival as best suits his
convenience. 1t is in reality merry
making for his retinue of servants.
When the graingeld is ready to yield up
its last load of treasure a large cart is
drawn into the yard of one of the peas
ants, and the young people gather about
it and trim it with wreaths, flowers and
leaf-festoons. To this are attached six
or eight horses likewise decked with
garlands. The cart is taken to the field,
where the loading of it goes on more as
sport than as work. When the last
sheaf has been tossed up, a pole, sur
mounted by gay wreath, is stuck in
the load, and the fanciful but heavy
laden vehicle rumbles and sways on its
way to the village, followed by au ever
growing crowd of women and children.
When the parsonage is reached the
cart stops the pastor comes forth with
his little black skull-cap on, and hush
falls over the merriment, while the good
man returns thanks for the bounty
of the harvest, and Graves a blessing
upon its use. Then the gay process
sion resumes its jollity, and its line
of march toward it's destination.
The whole day, and often two, are
given up to merry making and feasting,
for which many hands have been busy
for days preparing the viand'. One
evening at least is devoted to dancing.
Some large, airy barn is selected as a
ballroom. The floor is swept the walls,
the hay-mows and the stalls of the cattle
are profusely decorated with boughs of
the linden and oak, relieved by bouquets
and garlands of bright flowers. The
girls bring forth the treasures of their
wardrobe, and appear with bright 'ker-
chiefs fastened tastefully over their
tightly braided flaxen locks, or with an
immense stiff black bow attached to the
back of the head, as taste or custom die
tate. Often a bodice is worn over Il full,
light waist and these, with the bright
cOlOred short petticoats, made of heavy
woolen stuff, add greatly to the pictur-
esqueness of the whole scene. The old
village fiddler-for there seems always to
bave been one in every village since the
time of the Nibelungen comes with his
violin, and furnishes the music with
capacity for endurance which could have
been evolved only by beer and sausage.
One cannot rightly say that "the light
fantastic toe" grows upon such broad
practical feet as go jumping over the
barn floor. Their daily walk is over
life's toughest paths, and that in wooden
shoes but there is spontaneous grace to
youth, wherever found, and the enjoy
ment of the older ones, who have grown
stiff in faithful service, seems not in the
least marred by sense of the lack of it,
Often the servants from neighboring es-
tates come as guests to the festivities
The sons ftom the castle leave their dig
nifty for once, and are found turning the
pretty peasant girl in the dance. The
ladies, who usually are present as specta-
tors, often have a dance or two with the
overseer, who is almost always a person
of some culture; but as he is not noble,
to dance with him is a condescension for
these danes, who roll their family won"
as a sweet uorsal under tboir fon ot,as