Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Harvest Festival

14 replies

SpinCycle · 07/10/2013 21:21

I am trying to decide whether I am being overly pedantic - so feel free to tell me if you think I am.

My dd, 5yrs, had her Harvest Festival service in our local church recently. The whole school was there, and each class had a set piece to do - based upon the theme ' Harvest Around the World'. It was a really lovely service overall, but a couple of things struck me as a bit wrong. I suppose I had better just mention that dd attends a C of E primary in England, though as a family we are a mixture of lazy Atheists and non-practising Christians.

So, this Harvest Festival Y3 had Australia as their subject. Most of it was fine - all a bit 'oooh, they do it at a different time of year'. But when they got to the hop harvest one child proceeded to hold up a picture of a can of lager. So far as I know, hops play no part in lager production Grin. In the grand scheme of things it is not earth-shatteringly important, but I am just itching to point it out to the school!

Rather more worryingly, Y6 had China and went for a historical angle. Apparently, in the 13th century the Chinese were governed by the Mongols who were (and I quote) 'very evil people'. Now, I recognise that the Mongols can be held to account for a substantial number of atrocities. Surely dismissing an entire race as evil in a C of E church service is going a bit far though???!!! Shock

OP posts:
gordyslovesheep · 07/10/2013 21:25

could be worse - My dd1 did a Christmas play about 'Christmas around the world' - her class was 'China' ...I was asked to provide a Geisha style outfit

SpinCycle · 07/10/2013 21:28

gordyslovesheep - did they give you the mandatory 24hrs notice to whip it up at home? Wink Grin

..potters off to find out what they actually do in China/Japan at Christmas (forewarned is fore-armed)...

OP posts:
gordyslovesheep · 07/10/2013 21:30

oh yes - it was more the ...hang on that's JAPAN thing Grin I didn't have the heart to mention it to her teacher although I was tempted to send her in a green uniform clutching a little red book

SpinCycle · 07/10/2013 21:32

green uniform and red book = genius.

OP posts:
SpinCycle · 07/10/2013 21:34

I'm half tempted to send DD in with a family tree for her next show-and-tell. A couple pf generations back she has some indeterminate Tartar/Mongol ancestors. I seriuosly doubt anyone at the school would make the connection, though.

OP posts:
EverybodysStressyEyed · 07/10/2013 21:40

some lagers are made using hops

the mongol thing - you have a point

SpinCycle · 07/10/2013 21:45

well what do you know? A quick google confirms that you are quite right - lager is often made using hops. I always had it in my head that hops were what made bitter bitter. You live and learn. Happy to U on that one.

[Mental note to self to bother doing research before posting] Smile

OP posts:
SpinCycle · 07/10/2013 21:46

happy to *be U

OP posts:
EverybodysStressyEyed · 07/10/2013 21:47

yup - hands up who's recently been on a brewery tour despite not being a beer drinker

(just me then...)

notthefirstagainstthewall · 07/10/2013 21:54

(Lager and beer can made from hops actually - the yeast is different.)

We have the worse Harvest Festival

This will out me but for harvest festival our school did.....drumroll ...
a talent show.
How the jeffing hell is that anything to do with being grateful for the food we having and sharing with those that have less? I have no idea. It was called a Harvest of Talent to celebrate our children. Never mind that the the poor infants didn't even have much in the way of talents aged 4 and 5.
I'm not even religious but the idea of kids doing X factor instead of learning about food/production//issues makes me grrrr. Anybody that can enlighten me please do. And we are a rural school...

SpinCycle · 07/10/2013 21:58

'Harvest of Talent' Shock

That brings some terrible images to mind (as we approach the Halloween horror film season) Grin

OP posts:
Mimishimi · 07/10/2013 22:01

Well if you knew what the Mongols did to India .... Then again, look at Iraq and Afghanistan.

SpinCycle · 07/10/2013 22:05

Mimishimi - I realise that there are plenty of truly horrific (and well documented) examples of atrocities, and I am by no means trying to say that they should be played down. I am just a bit Confused as to why the subject ever came up in a Harvest Festival. And not at all comfortable branding an entire people as evil in any circumstance. This was a C 0f E service - even the vicar looked uncomfortable.

OP posts:
GrendelsMum · 07/10/2013 22:33

I'd leave it tbh, although this is the sort of thing that gets me insanely stressed and uptight in real life.

I suspect the Y6 teacher is not big on historical relativism, history as painted by the victors, etc. And even if he/she was, it's probably a very difficult concept to try to convey sensitively and appropriately to the class of 10 year ok.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page