The Harvest Festival is a holiday which can be traced all the way back to the ancient Celts when it was celebrated as the seasonal mid-point. It was during this time that people would harvest their grains, store food away for later use and begin preparations for winter. In Old English, the word “hærfest” would mean autumn and it would eventually become the word harvest. In Anglo-Saxon England, these pagan traditions would continue on as Lammas or “loaf mass.” It was during this time that it became customary to ‘bless the bread’, which would later become the tradition of giving thanks for a meal. By the 16th century, a number of traditions had been incorporated into this day. Harvest Festival would continue to evolve over the next few hundred years – until it became the holiday that it is today.