The Pagan Experience: “E” is for “Erntfescht”

This post was inspired by a prompt at The Pagan Experience suggesting writing for the letters “E” or “F”.

The calendars of many polytheistic religions are filled with agricultural rites, and Urglaawe is no exception. The holiday of Erntfescht, celebrated on the Autumn Equinox, is known as “Harvest Home” in English. You’ll find this holiday still celebrated today in Deitsch communities, by Christian and Heathen adherents alike. This “original Thanksgiving” was a time for communities to come together, celebrate the harvest, and share with one another what they had to give. This was particularly a time for the community to assist those who were less fortunate, such as families whose crops had failed, or who had lost a family member over the past year.

In modern Urglaawe celebrations, there is a focus on donations to food banks and the like to help those in need. The deities honored at this…