top of page

Simple Ways to Create a Harvest-Inspired, Autumn Celebration at Home


Harvest has almost fully drawn to a close in the English countryside, which is now resplendent in shades of green and gold. To give thanks for nature's abundance, we may wish to create a simple, harvest-inspired autumn celebration at home ...



Harvest comes from the Old English word 'hærfest', which means, rather aptly, 'autumn'.


As farmers have been busily harvesting the fields and storing up crops and grains, such as wheat, barley, and oats, to see us through the long, cold winter months, we may like to create a gentle celebration of harvest at home.


We may like to begin by reflecting on the spring and summer we have had and consider what we wish to take forward with us as we move into autumn and winter.


Autumn feels like an 'in-between' season, enticingly tucked between summer and winter in delectable shades of pumpkin orange and honeyed caramel, and it is a point in the year that seems to invite introspection and quiet contemplation as well as celebration.



Reflect upon what we have harvested

and take stock



Autumn invites us to reflect upon all we have experienced over the past nine months and those things we have worked hard on.


So often, the things we have worked hard on can be subtle and may go unnoticed, especially if they are intangible and intrinsic, such as the times we may have faced our fears or made subtle shifts in our lives for the sake of our wellbeing.


We may like to take this opportunity to consider the seeds we have sown, how they have grown, what we have harvested, and what we can learn from our experience.


Now is a good time to take stock of your life and to celebrate all that you are and all that you have achieved.



Contemplate our interconnection

with the landscape and with each other



During this season, we are reminded to consider how our life is interwoven with the unseen, unknown lives of others and with the natural world.


We may never meet the myriad people involved in bringing our food from the field to our kitchen table, but hidden behind every meal is an invisible chain of hard-working folk, from farmers, farmworkers, delivery drivers, to shop assistants, and many more.


We may also never consider how the elements of earth, water, air, and fire are present in the food on our plate but they are there, contained within the fruit and vegetables we eat.


Consider, for example, an apple. Hidden in the apple's humble history is air - the breeze that first blew the seed until it found a place to germinate, earth - the patch of rich soil the apple tree grew from, fire - the power of the sun that warmed the soil and seed, and water - the nourishment of rain that fell from the sky. All of this is part of the apple's heritage, and part of its journey to being harvested, until it finds itself in the fruit bowl in our home.


We may wish to reflect upon the wonder of our interconnectedness with all life, along with all those things we are thankful for.



Visit a farm, orchard, allotment,

or simply spend time in a park or garden



If you can, get out into nature and tune into the seasonal changes happening all around you, such as the leaves turning to copper on the trees, the lusciously-coloured, jewel-bright berries hanging from the hedgerows, and smell the change in the air.


If you can get to a farm, an orchard, an allotment, or even a farmer's market, let your senses be beguiled by the array of colours, aromas, textures, and flavours in front of you.


Even if you simply look out of your window, and notice what there is to see, just allow yourself to be present with the moment and all it holds for you, and try to sense autumn's presence.


Nature is all around us, and we are not separate from it.



Decorate your table

with freely available, seasonal nature finds



Mother Nature offers us plenty of beautiful things to decorate our homes with, freely or cheaply, without us needing to spend a lot of money on the autumn decor in the shops, however gorgeous or whimsical it may be.


Consider adding to your home a bunch of shining yellow sunflowers, a fallen branch of glowing autumn leaves, some glistening, glossy-coated conkers, or bright orange pumpkins we can carve in traditional jack o'lantern style or whatever shapes we wish, such as moon and stars.


Look out, responsibly, for those small things in nature that you might safely bring back to display in your home, adding a touch of enchanting seasonal charm that brings the outdoors in.



Prepare a simple, seasonal feast

whilst playing harvest-inspired music




If the harvest has gone well, autumn is a time for feasting, joyfulness, and celebration, and we may like to enter into the spirit of the season by lovingly cooking a delicious meal for ourselves, either alone or to share with our loved ones.


As we cook, we might like to play some autumnal music. There are many seasonal playlists and autumn ambience videos on YouTube or Spotify to choose from. These can help create a cosy soundscape, or you could simply open a window and let the sounds of the season and the winds of change blow through your house and home.


We might like to prepare a meal using foods that are currently in season, such as pumpkins, mushrooms, root vegetables, apples, or pears. Perhaps you could whip up a silky mushroom soup, a hearty vegetable stew, or an apple crumble with lashings of custard?


If the produce you use is grown locally, this can help you feel more in tune with the landscape you live in, but if not, simply take a moment to see where your food has come from, and the journey it has made to get to your table.


And if the food is not seasonal, don't worry - the point of this is simple: to nourish yourself because you deserve, deeply, to be nourished, and to take a moment to appreciate all the sources of nourishment in your life.



Recite a short blessing

of thankfulness for the harvest



Before we enjoy the feast we have prepared, we may like to read or write a short blessing, to mark the moment and give thanks for the harvest and all the wisdom we have gathered over the last few months.


Most of us don't give thanks before we eat - and maybe we would even feel a little silly doing so - but, if you'd like to, and in the spirit of seasonal celebration, perhaps you could say something like this:



Bless the gifts of the harvest - the cereal crops and grain,

Bless the breeze that blows the seed, and the earth that holds it.

Bless the sun that shines, and the nourishment of rain,

Bless the earth and all upon it -

May the sun's light anoint us again.



Share the abundance


If we are able, we may like to share a little of our abundance with those around us, such as our friends, family, neighbours, or a local food bank.


Times are tough for many, and although we may not be able to make donations such as this, we may instead wish to connect with our local community, perhaps by sharing a kind word with an elderly neighbour.


The word 'abundance' comes from the Latin, and simply means 'to overflow', so when we simply let who we are spill out in kind words or actions, we share something of our heart with others, and I believe this is generosity too.


Even the smallest act of kindness should not be underestimated, as we never truly know the positive impact it can have on someone's day.



However you decide to mark autumn's arrival and give thanks for the abundance of the season, remember to celebrate yourself for all you have weathered over the past few months, for all of your efforts and hard work, and for the good harvest you are now gathering in.








bottom of page