The etymology and tradition of the harvest festival in Poland in the context of the Polish countryside

Dictionaries and linguistic studies indicate that the term "dożynki" comes from the verb "żać" (to cut grain) and the form "dożynać" (to finish the harvest). The prefix "do‑" indicates bringing an activity to an end, reflecting the moment of closing the most important field work in the annual agricultural cycle.

 In ethnographic literature, harvest festivals are referred to as, among others , wyżynki, obzynek, okrężne, wieńcowe, or wreaths. The name "okrężne" refers to the ritual circumambulation of the fields after the harvest, while "wieńczyny" refers to the central importance of the harvest wreath as an attribute of the holiday.

Research by historians and ethnologists indicates that the custom of giving thanks for the harvest has pre-Christian roots and is linked to the Slavic ritual calendar. In pre-Christian times, the harvest festival fell on the autumnal equinox (around September 23) and was associated with the cult of protective deities of the earth, fertility, and plants.

Studies on old Polish harvest festivals emphasize that ancient harvest rituals included the offering of the last sheaves of grain, fruit, and sometimes animals, combined with games, feasts, and celebrations of the farmer's achievements. Zygmunt Gloger and other 19th-century researchers considered harvest festivals to be relics of the primitive agricultural customs of the Polans along the Vistula and Warta rivers, later adopted by Prussian and Lithuanian tribes.

Harvest festivals fit into the broader context of agrarian thanksgiving holidays present in many agricultural cultures. Comparative studies point to analogies between the Polish Harvest Festival and ancient Greek celebrations honoring Demeter, or Roman harvest festivals. A common element is the closing of the growing cycle, an offering of the first or last harvest, and a ritual feast for the entire community.

In the Slavic context, harvest festivals constitute a link between pagan fertility rituals and later, Christianized forms of worship, in which the old harvest gods were replaced by Christian patrons of the land and farmers.

The syncretic nature of the harvest festival is evident in its connection with the Catholic celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, popularly known as Our Lady of the Herbs (August 15th). Ethnologists emphasize that the harvest festival has become ideologically associated with Mary as the patron saint of the earth and lush vegetation, which allowed for the incorporation of the ancient custom into the framework of the Christian liturgical calendar.

In Poland, the blessing of herbs, grasses, vegetables, and ears of corn on the feast of Our Lady of the Herbs provided a natural context for the harvest festival procession with wreaths and bread. Later folk traditions also included the terms "Our Lady of the Harvest Festival" and "Our Lady of the Sowing" (September 8), reinforcing the connection between Marian devotion and the agricultural cycle.

Historical sources and ethnographic studies unanimously indicate that the harvest festival ritual as we know it emerged in Poland in the late 16th century, alongside the development of manor farms. At that time, harvest festivals primarily took place in manor houses, where estate owners organized ceremonies for farm servants and hired workers in gratitude for the harvest.

Ethnographers distinguish three basic stages in traditional harvest festivals: the ceremonial cutting of the last ears of corn, the weaving of the harvest wreath (crop), and the procession with the wreath to the farmer's manor or cottage, culminating in a feast and merrymaking called a circular procession. The feast in front of the farmer's house, described in the "Old Polish Encyclopedia," among others , provided an opportunity for the entire community to gather for a feast, emphasizing the social dimension of the holiday.

Encyclopedias and museum catalogs note the rich regional terminology associated with harvest festivals: "wyżynki" (highlands), "obrzynki" (cuttings), "zarzynki" (harvest rings), "oźniwiny" (harvest rings), "wience" (wreaths), "wiencowe" (wreaths), "wieczyny" (circular rings). The varied terminology reflects local variations of the ritual and various symbolic accents (circling the fields, wreaths, harvest finale).

Research on folk culture shows that the harvest festival custom was widespread among the landed nobility, wealthier peasants, and the farm nobility, although the form of celebration varied depending on the status of the farmer and the region.

One of the most important elements of the ritual is the "last sheaf" or "last tuft of grain," left in the field until ceremonially cut by the best reaper. Field studies from Mazovia, Podlasie, and Lesser Poland describe local names for this tuft: "przepiórka," "perepełka," "broda," "koza," "navel."

This clump was decorated with flowers and green branches, and its ceremonial cutting was meant to ensure prosperity and continued harvest in the following year. Grain from the last sheaf was then woven into a harvest wreath, which—as a "harvest crown"—symbolized the fruits of the farmers' year-round labor.

Harvest wreaths, made from grains, herbs, flowers, fruit, and ribbons, are interpreted in ethnological studies as a sign of abundance, prosperity, and continued vegetation. Harvest bread, baked with flour from the current year's harvest, symbolizes respect for the farmers' work and the prosperity of the entire community.

Ethnographic descriptions of the harvest festival indicate differences between its course "in the village" and "at the manor." At the manor, the focal point was the procession of the harvesters with a wreath to the lord's residence, the presentation of the wreath and bread to the farmer, and a communal feast.

In peasant villages and on the farms of the nobility, harvest festivals were also organized as a local feast—often combined with "tłoka," or collective work in neighboring fields, marking the end of the harvest season for all agricultural crops (grains, potatoes, root crops). In both models, the ritual retained its thanksgiving and community-integrating function.

During the interwar period, parish, municipal, and district harvest festivals began to be organized, moving some of the rituals from manor houses to the public spaces of local communities. Over time, the harvest festival became a tool of state policy - in the Polish People's Republic, central and provincial harvest festivals were used for propaganda purposes as a "celebration of the socialist countryside."

 Historical studies emphasize that despite attempts to ideologically appropriate the holiday, in local rural communities the harvest festival has retained its traditional meaning of thanksgiving for the harvest and appreciation of the work of farmers.

Today, the harvest festival is still considered the largest agricultural festival, held at the turn of August and September, after the main harvesting activities have been completed. Although the tools have changed (combines have replaced sickles and scythes), the core of the ritual remains thanksgiving for the harvest and emphasizing the importance of agriculture to the local community.

 Ethnologists and museum professionals note that contemporary harvest festivals combine elements of traditional folk culture (wreaths, regional costumes, songs, dances, processions) with new forms of representation: concerts, stands of local products, and the presence of local government officials and media. Distinctive "welcome signs" have also appeared - handmade installations along roads announcing the upcoming Harvest Festival.

In ethnographic literature, the harvest festival is presented as an important component of the intangible cultural heritage of rural Poland. It combines ritual traditions, agricultural knowledge, local artistic creativity, and values passed down from generation to generation. The Harvest Festival strengthens social bonds, reminds us of humanity's dependence on the land, and allows us to symbolically thank farmers for their year-round work.

This tradition remains alive in Budziszewko. Local ethnographic accounts confirm that the harvest festival was celebrated here decades ago: the festivities included a church portion, communal entertainment, and attractions prepared by the residents. Residents' recollections also indicate the coexistence of church and municipal celebrations, and the local community's participation in both forms of the festival.

Today, the harvest festival in Budziszewko is held annually, most often as a parish and village celebration. From time to time, the village also hosts broader, municipal celebrations. In the Rogoźno commune, the organization of the Municipal Harvest Festival is entrusted to successive towns: Gościejewo hosted the event in 2017, Studzieniec in 2022, Garbatka in 2023, and Budziszewko in 2024. An official announcement from the Rogoźno Municipal Office confirms that the Municipal Harvest Festival in Budziszewko took place on August 24, 2024.

Annual parish and village celebrations, as well as the Municipal Harvest Festival held in selected years, allow Budziszewko residents to actively participate in maintaining local traditions. Sharing harvest bread, preparing wreaths, participating in the service, and sharing fun are not merely part of the festivities, but an expression of the continuity of local culture. This makes the Harvest Festival a celebration for the entire community—farmers, their families, parish and village representatives, and other village residents.

The etymology of the term "harvest festival" and the rich history of this holiday—from the pre-Christian autumnal equinox ritual, through the Old Polish manor harvest festivals, to modern parish and municipal celebrations—demonstrate the deep roots of the Harvest Festival in Polish rural culture. Analysis of ethnological, historical, and linguistic sources confirms that the contemporary harvest festival remains a living element of agrarian heritage, connecting the past with the present and giving meaning to the work of farmers in local communities.