The Harvest Festival in Domanjševci

In olden times, producing bread used to be one of the most important tasks for a family. One of the steps that led to it, the harvest, was one of the most difficult, but also the most promising of farm labours.

As dawn slowly broke in the east, the workers would shoulder their scythes and set out for the wheat fields. Children also helped with the work which took the whole day, so they could learn early on that flour, ground from the tiny grains of wheat, was the most essential staple in people's daily diets.

The preservation and passing on of tradition plays a significant role, therefore, The Harvest Festival, a demonstration of the harvest works and customs linked to it, is organised annually in Domanjševci. On the day of this traditional event, the courtyard of the Domanjševci Homestead and the wheat field behind it are filled with people.  In the field, the traditional harvesting of crops with sickles and scythes is demonstrated. The crops are then tied into sheaves and arranged in cross-like patterns. Threshing is another traditional harvest task that visitors can see – they can learn about three different forms of threshing: manual threshing, threshing driven by horses and threshing with a more modern threshing machine.

Every year, the organisers do their best to enrich the Harvest Festival with a vibrant cultural programme, and even make sure that everyone returns home full of food and memorable experiences.