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SUMMARY:PLOUGH SUNDAY AT EBRINGTON
DTSTART:20260104T093000Z
DTEND:20260104T103000Z
DTSTAMP:20260513T135541Z
UID:11361112026-01-04 09:30:00+00:00achurchnearyou
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DESCRIPTION:JOIN US FOR PLOUGH SUNDAY AT EBRINGTON - TIME 9:30 AM DATE 4th
  JAN\nOn 4th January  at 9:30 am we will be joining together for a special
  service for Plough Sunday which is traditionally held in Ebrington. It wi
 ll be a family friendly “service of the word” with prayer and readings
  as we ask God to bless the land and those who work with it.\n\nFor people
  wishing to receive Holy Communion there will also be a traditional  Commu
 nion service  at St.Lawrence Bourton on the Hill at 6pm.\n\nSome backgroun
 d information on Plough Sunday published by the Diocese of Winchester.\n\n
 Plough Sunday is thought to be a very ancient festival\, abandoned at the 
 Reformation and then revived by the Victorians. Traditionally it was celeb
 rated on the first Sunday after Epiphany\, which falls on 6 January\, and 
 then ploughing began the next day\, Plough Monday. Since Victorian times m
 any farms have owned their own plough\, so a representative plough was bro
 ught into church for a blessing\, but in the medieval period\, when there 
 was only one plough in each village\, the village plough was drawn through
  the streets to be blessed at the church\, and was followed with much food
 \, drinking and revelry. For medieval farmers it was an important occasion
 . The village plough was cleaned and decorated\, it was then dragged to th
 e church to be blessed and for prayers for a good harvest before the start
  of the new season’s work. During the service the ‘plough light’ - a
  candle kept lit in the church throughout the year - was paraded ceremonia
 lly. After the blessing\, the plough was pulled through the village again\
 , led by a Fool and a boy dressed as a woman called a ‘Betsy’. The pro
 cession stopped at as many pubs and friendly houses as possible for revell
 ers to demand drinks. Pennies were also collected along route as a contrib
 ution towards keeping the plough light going in the church throughout the 
 year - though others say it could have been to boost the kitty for “ale
 ” that evening at the tavern. It would appear that anyone not paying a p
 enny was likely to find a furrow cut across their land by morning! The day
  ended with a village feast\, ale or beer flowed\, and the traditional cen
 trepiece was always a large Plough Pudding - a suet pudding stuffed with s
 ausagemeat\, bacon\, onion\, and sage. The recipe is readily available on 
 the internet for anyone who wishes to give it a go. Modern farming practic
 es have changed\, of course\, and the widespread sowing of winter wheat me
 ans that much farming is now carried out in the autumn\, but how marvellou
 s to have two opportunities to celebrate the work of our farmers – both 
 at Harvest Festival and on Plough Sunday
LOCATION:St Eadburgha's Church
URL:https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/14277/service-and-events/events/
 1136111/
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