Threshing Day

Threshing Day, also sometimes called Shearing Day, is the second to last work day before the Harvest Festival. During this time, everyone—including nobility—head into the fields to help with the heavy work of harvesting, threshing, shearing, and butchering.   At First Light, all the farmers and business owners meet at the main gate. People of the town join them and head out into the fields. Children generally stay in the city and help with cleaning up the streets, pruning back the trees and bushes, and running errands for the shops and households. Everyone else goes out to help with the harvest.   At Highsun, a rustic meal is served to everyone by the palace guards, and at Lateday everyone goes back to the city for supper and free drinks provided by the Taverns and Inns (paid for by the Queen).   The day after Threshing Day, the farmers and business owners finish the job of harvesting, and the following day is the big Harvest Festival celebration.  

Controversy around Threshing Day

  While most people enjoy the Threshing Day activities and the chance to experience different kinds of work, learn new skills, and meet people they might not normally spend time with, others feel that the activity is simply a way for the aristocracy to assuage their feelings of guilt after taxing and using the peasant class. In the past, young nobles have been accused of damaging property and abusing workers rather than helping with the harvest.   In cities where many of the residents are Animals, the Threshing Day activities are viewed as exploitive and horrific. Being asked to help with the shearing and butchering of other animals is considered cruel and traumatizing. Options to help with other activities such as crop harvesting, grain threshing, cleaning, and preparations for the colder weather are available to Animal Citizens, but humanoid prejudice often leads to poor treatment of the Animals.   In Goosefeather, because of the very large Animal population, controversial activities are rare and are quickly dealt with by City Guards. Still some political and religious groups (Church of the Old Way, the Narnians, the Animal Supremacy Soldiers, and the Vegan Education Group) oppose the Threshing Day activities and continue to advocate for a Vegan State in Sithean.