New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-20
THE HARVEST HOME.
A COUSIN OF THANKSGIVING.
NERRYMAKINGS-


national history, like independence Day and Washing
tons Birthday. Even Thanksgiving Day has an easily
traceable connection with other and older institutions
and the original part Of it is It's Independent source
Oh these shores. Among primitive people, when
depended chiefly on It's hsrvess for It's means Of life,
1t was almost to arise and with that condition
something OF the sort almost always has risen. Hence
the American Thanksgiving is independent thing,
and yet It has relations Its history is 80 short that
it be traced much more easily than Is usual IN
such cases Days OF thanksgiving We're appointed In
the early years Of NewEngland at various times and
for various reasons An abundant harvest was the
most common one. Thanksgiving then came to be
appointed regularly each autumn. and the custom
gradually extended beyond New-Engand and became
more and firmly established all over the country
All over the world. and in all times, 1t has been
found that the TO whom fruitful harvest was
the greatest blessing OF the year have been inclined
to express their gratitude to the Oliver of II In some
especial manner When the character OF the people
was not so austerely religious In old New England
IL did not take on so serious form, and sometimes
lapse OF years probably caused the deeply religious
element in It's origin to be forgotten altogether while
the feast and the frorc all that occupied the
minds OF tho harveser Perhaps the New Eng anders
NAV have had pleasant memories OF the Harvest
Home Of old England. and whether they did or not 1t
may be appropriately recalled now. when the festival
which they established Ia so near Mt hand
There were many names for this simple BIT Of re-
ioicing. Harvest Home the most common ana
best recognized Among the others were Feast of
Ingahering, Harvest supper Nell supper, Kern sup
per and Churn Supper Not one OF them IS 80 pretty
and fun OF meaning as Thanksgiving good deal OF
more or fantastic speculation has been devoted TO
the discovery invention Of meanings for all fho'c
terms OF course Harvest Home and Harvest supper
explain Themselves and Feast OF lneathcrinr Is The
name o. the similar feast of the Hebrews, mentioned
In Exodus XIII, Is. IT is more than hkely that the
Enc apdc n of
their OWE festival. Iut It l. In regard 10 Men supper
and Kern supper that linguistic fnncy has fairly
broken loose and covered Itself with glory In regard
to Nell supper II is said that neil Is derived from
the French meier, 10 m,ngle or mix together; also
that Il is the Teutonic mchl. meaning meal: again That
1t might from med-syp. the reward supper. and
yet again that connected with melee because Of The
contest among the reapers TO do the most rapid work
on the last day OF harvest Finally, there l. the
theory That the name Is from instrument chilled
nell, whcrcwith corn pounded to meal in n
mortar. The name Kern supper IA Northern in its
gin, and "A person Of peaceful disposition. not in
clined to raise disturbance about the meanings Of
words might be content 10 assume thai II meant Corn
supper did not Eugene Agam Insist that II meant
Churn supper because Of the use Of the churn In It's
ceremonious celebration. such Is the cagcrn"ss to
find the obscure and rlrrOiabl" sounding dcfl't
tons for words, when simple ana obvious ones arr
lying all about.
Glanting then, that the name might be almost any
thing and might be derived from almost any
where, and that the thing was known and
held in honor almost everywhere, the fact
remains that Harvest Home was a most
joyful occasion and the result Of natural outponnng
OF nlndne,s from grateful hearts. In its primitive
form IL marked the cd Of the harvest and the Bringing
home In triumph Of the last load Of grain was part
Of its formal celebration. In England the cart In
which the load brought called hook cart,
and 1t surrounded by a figure made of shcnf Of
corn gayly dressed and adorned. some bnvc thought
that this particular custom dated back 10 heathen
times, and that the figure reprcsene1 Ceres. piper
aud taborcr went in front, and the cart was sur
rounded BY the laughing and cheering reHpcrs and
children. somewhere on the road at times a neigh
Dor with taste Cor ancient practical Jokes would lie
IA walt 10 pals OF water on the cart as 1t passed
This was a quite legitimate recreation and those on
OR about the cart had TO look out for the dryncss OF
their own clothes and skins. When the last load
finally housed the farmer would give great supper
TO all who had been employed In any way about the
harvest and he himself with his whole family Joined
I'm II with the abOreIs, so that the occasion was one
OF those which united from time TO time all classes
on an equal footing. That there was Just such
abundant good cheer TO be expected every mind
connects with the American Thanksgiving Is shown
by Iierrck, thus
rns WIN Ia me- i,o where Is5Ss s for s ySSr n1Fh
found alton Of your feast, fat beec;
AID ba %Ir,' which makes iull the mcale;
with seviall ,. dishes standing r1 Si oS'
And here attempting frumente.
If Sinking wine be wanting here,
There's that which browns all care STOUT De'rc
There was a custom in places of leaving small
bunch Of grain uncut the last day oil the hhrN'''
bending fiat upon the ground and letting stay
until all else done, when II was cut by one Oh the
pretles Of the girls who was chosen Tor the ppo''.
This handful Of then dressed up ana WIS c'eu
the Maiden, or sometimes the Corn Baby. ana was cur
r,cd home in triumph the girl who had cut 1t becoming
the o,ren Of the nights feast. Afterwards the Corn
Iaby was hung up In the farmers house ana Kept
for the rest Of the year. sometimes longer IL may
lie worthy OF consideration whether these ruSIc pro
onv connection with the fantastic asquerade proccs-
slons winch parade the streets OF the east side o NeW
York Thanksgiving Day II seems more P'o9 W 1s
hal the derived from the munner's OIL oiu
appropriate to Christmas. 81, - ,., 90 -
ord and lady to pIesice over feast Is common !?
many seasons Of the year. as Christmas, n"ein nitt
Finland a lord used to be appointed IRON among .ne
workmcn at the beginning Of the n%rve ar and he
maae terms for all with the farmers for ther Worh ~,
bound 10 obey him through tne tbrr
little offences punished In the same way anu ,e
lines all went to fund for the c gen ns lerd and as
She was also Of the woFknen q NE h.il, mer
Of %o4 the 1aFas aS d nGs'd 10 'e
rcorSing 70 another custom last bunch OF grain
field Tied together ana lnt It"P'iS
ei, , y throwing their sicklcs at It. II was called
mar. and he who finally cut II would shout hh,e
u '' h,ya | have II ,' The others would shout III
~, three times: What have your "a mare,
mare mare" the first would say In answer noss
~ h wouid he thrice asked, and the reaper would
ca the name Of the farmer Of The land as many line
g WhIthcr viii you send herr" was the next question:
w ,hn answer wa, fhe name OF some neghboring
~ rmer whose corn yet all cut. The shef would
hen be sent 10 this farmers field rs mint La, ms
,n,bo- was more expeditions than himself In his
harvest work and they who bore ne token must sane
care that they escaped from the delivery OF ], WITHOUT
har,,, harm When this farmer had finished his work.
The mare sent on TO another ana 20 on III al '''
Galds ~ Tho nclgh5orhoOd had yielded their store .
" THO Harvest Home q. England. corresponding III
actual time with the end OF the harvest. naturally &C
crre1 somewhat earlier than the American inanhsRlI
inc perhaps In August or September. but the s"ril