Plough Sunday is a traditional English celebration of the beginning of the agricultural year that has seen some revival over recent years. Plough Sunday celebrations usually involve bringing a

ploughshare In agriculture, a plowshare ( US) or ploughshare ( UK; ) is a component of a plow (or plough). It is the cutting or leading edge of a moldboard which closely follows the coulter (one or more ground-breaking spikes) when plowing. The plowshar ...

into a church with prayers for the blessing of the land. It is traditionally held on the Sunday after

Epiphany Epiphany may refer to: * Epiphany (feeling), an experience of sudden and striking insight Religion * Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ ** Epiphany season, or Epiph ...

, the Sunday between 7 January and 13 January. Accordingly, work in the fields did not begin until the day after Plough Sunday:

Plough Monday Plough Monday is the traditional start of the English agricultural year. While local practices may vary, Plough Monday is generally the first Monday after Epiphany, 6 January. References to Plough Monday date back to the late 15th century. The ...

. 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.Orme, ''Rural Children'', p. 18. In the Church of England book of liturgy, '' 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. As well as a ploughshare, in rural areas, it is common for local farmers to attend the service with their

tractor A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most commo ...

s - both new and old (see photo). Sometimes, services may be accompanied by other traditions such as

Morris dancing Morris dancing is a form of English folk dance. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers, usually wearing bell pads on their shins. Implements such as sticks, swords and handkerchiefs may ...

. Historically, villagers would walk through their village collecting alms, before gathering at the church for the Blessing of the Plough.Wilson, ''A Brief History of the English Reformation'', p. 49. Particularly notable Plough Sunday services are held at

Sherborne Abbey Sherborne Abbey, otherwise the Abbey Church of St. Mary the Virgin, is a Church of England church in Sherborne in the English county of Dorset. It has been a Saxon cathedral (705–1075), a Benedictine abbey church (998–1539), and since 1539, ...

in Dorset, Hedenham Church in Norfolk, and the cathedrals in Exeter and

Chichester Chichester () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publi ...

.Hobson, ''Curious Country Customs'', p. 22.

References

English traditions January observances Church of England Epiphany (holiday) Christian Sunday observances {{England-stub