Journal

It seems everywhere I go lately, homes are being built or remodeled. With all the change and movement, I feel an eagerness to reach out. So with new neighbors and new friends, we want to talk about the art of housewarming. Whether it's an old friend moving into a new apartment, a college freshman moving into the dorms, a new stranger in the neighborhood, or a friend moving into their dream home, we want to offer them goodwill for their new home.

Grains are among the first crops to be harvested, so we will begin with a few of the traditions of grain harvesting. Wheat and corn are often harvested during the hot days of July. Hay is cut and left drying in bales over the fields. The folk traditions of yore celebrated this day with baking new loafs of bread from the fresh harvest, dancing, feasting, and even bale-jumping sport. 

The ancients were very aware of the sun, stars, and shifts in the earth's movements. Their lives and agrarian livelihoods were highly dependent upon their ability to understand the land, sun, and skies. As such, they created a calendar of sorts to mark each season with action and celebration. Eventually, with the rise of Christendom, these festival days also took on religious meaning.