Editing Plough Sunday

{{Short description|Traditional English celebration}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
[[Image:Plough Sunday Gathering.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|right|A Plough Sunday gathering outside a village church in [[Tickhill]], [[South Yorkshire]]]]
'''Plough Sunday''' is an English celebration held on the day before [[Plough Monday]], the traditional start of the agricultural year.  There is little evidence that Plough Sunday was specifically celebrated historically, although in agricultural communities the church service would probably have referenced ploughing in recognition of the season. However, following the Second World War there was an attempt to revive what was thought to be an old Plough Sunday tradition.<ref>{{cite book|last=Roud|first=Stephen|title=The English Year: A Month-by-Month Guide to the Nation's Customs and Festivals, from May Day to Mischief Night|year=2006|publisher=Penguin|page=19}}</ref>

Plough Sunday celebrations usually involve bringing a [[plowshare|ploughshare]] into a church with prayers for the blessing of the land. It is traditionally held on the Sunday after [[Epiphany (Christian)|Epiphany]], the Sunday between 7 January and 13 January.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sherborneabbey.com/sermons/PloughSunday.shtml|title=God Speed the Plough|publisher=Sherborne Abbey Sermon, Plough Sunday 2005 by Vicar Canon Eric Woods|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060101213703/http://www.sherborneabbey.com/sermons/PloughSunday.shtml|archivedate=2006-01-01}}</ref> Although the nature of farming has changed over the centuries, Plough Sunday is seen as a way of generally celebrating farming and the work of farmers.<ref name=Orme>Orme, ''Rural Children'', p. 18.</ref> In the Church of England book of liturgy, ''[[Common Worship|Common Worship: Times and Seasons]]'', there is a suggested prayer for the "Blessing of the Plough", for the "Blessing of Seed" and passages of Scripture related to the agricultural theme.<ref>Common Worship, pp. 607-608.</ref>

As well as a ploughshare, in rural areas, it is common for local farmers to attend the service with their [[tractor]]s - both new and old. Sometimes, services may be accompanied by other traditions such as [[Morris dancing]].<ref>Davison, ''For the Parish'', p. 176.</ref> Historically, villagers would walk through their village collecting [[alms]], before gathering at the church for the Blessing of the Plough.<ref>Wilson, ''A Brief History of the English Reformation'', p. 49.</ref>

Particularly notable Plough Sunday services are held at [[Sherborne Abbey]] in Dorset, [[Hedenham|Hedenham Church]] in Norfolk, and the cathedrals in [[Exeter Cathedral|Exeter]] and [[Chichester Cathedral|Chichester]].<ref name=Hobson>Hobson, ''Curious Country Customs'', p. 22.</ref>

==References==
<references/>

{{English festivals}}

[[Category:English traditions]]
[[Category:January observances]]
[[Category:Church of England festivals]]
[[Category:Epiphany (holiday)]]
[[Category:Christian Sunday observances]]


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