On 1st October 1843, Rev. Robert Hawker held the first Harvest Thanksgiving Service in his Anglican church at Morwenstow in Cornwall. He wanted people to say 'thank-you' to God for the harvest. This has remained a tradition ever since. Although it isn’t an exclusively Christian festival, the tradition of giving at harvest-time is found in the Bible. The Jews would give a tenth of the harvest to God. This was known as a tithe (see Leviticus 27: 30).

In this country, farmers used to give a tithe of everything that came from the ground. They would give their crops, wool, or milk, which totalled an agreed amount of their yearly profits. Tithes were often given to help support the local church and its clergy (i.e. church workers). Grain was stored in huge tithe barns, many of which can still be seen today. Although this law no longer exists, many Christians still choose to give a tithe of the money they earn - 10% or more - to help with the work of the church.

Today, many UK churches have a Harvest Thanksgiving service. At harvest-time, the sharing of food helps Christians to remember that all good gifts come from God. Giving is a way of saying thank you to God in a practical way whilst remembering that He commanded all people to love and care for others.