Why is Build a Scarecrow Day observed in July?

There are a few days on the Weird Holidays & Observances page that always strike me as out of place. For instance, Leprechaun Day, which isn’t in March anywhere near St. Patrick’s Day as you might assume. Rather, it’s on May 13. But Build a Scarecrow Day is another one of those out-of-place weird days too.

Why is it celebrated when it is? Let’s take a look.

When is Build a Scarecrow Day?

It’s observed on the first Sunday in July.

Build a Scarecrow Day Origins

In addition to not being celebrated when you might think it would be, Build a Scarecrow Day shares something else in common with Leprechaun Day: No one knows who started it, why, or when. Its origins remain a mystery.

Why It’s Observed in July

When I looked into Leprechaun Day, I mentioned Build a Scarecrow Day and how, if I’d had to venture a guess, I would’ve thought it’d be sometime in early Fall. After all, scarecrows are as much a symbol of the season as pumpkins and ghosts.

However, it would actually be too late to build one by then. Well, it’s not too late. You can build one anytime. However, farmers traditionally used scarecrows to protect their crops during the planting and growing season, not the harvesting one.

Looking at it from that perspective, July makes perfect sense for having a Build a Scarecrow Day then. It’s the time to gather together all the materials you need to build a figure meant to scare the birds and critters that want to munch on crops —but the decoys often end up also frightening humans.

A Short History of Scarecrows

As The Fact Site points out, scarecrows were aptly named. Their job was to scare off crows and other birds.

They also cite that scarecrows have been around even as far back as 3,000 years ago. “Cornfield scarecrows” are a familiar sight in Europe and America, but “ancient Egyptians hung tunics on reeds to scare quail away from crops along the Nile.” And the ancient Greeks crafted wooden statues of Priapus, the god of animal and vegetable fertility, to try and protect their crops from birds.

In Japan, they used the Kuebiko to deter sparrows from feasting on the rice. And some Native American cultures resorted to having a man sit on a platform and shout at the birds to scare them away.

Nowadays they’re used more for decoration than practical purposes and they continue to conjure up legends.

Scary Scarecrows

As Modern Farmer pointed out, these days scarecrows probably frighten people more than they do birds. If they ever worked on birds, that is. (I have my doubts.)

Scarecrows with outstretched arms often bring to mind the crucifixion. Which is not a very pleasant way to go and in a way also serves as a “no trespassing” warning.  “Enter here uninvited and this may happen to you!”

They can also be “a symbol of the death and resurrection of the crops.”

Then there’s an interpretation that Agecroft Hall & Gardens shared in their history of scarecrows about how they were regarded as a “supernatural boogeyman, a monster who is often depicted in tattered clothing.”

Which had benefits for agrarian societies looking to protect not only their food source but also their kids. Scarecrows “could also scare children away from the fields where there might be strange things hiding.” (Which made me think of the Beast of Gevaudan. Maybe a scarecrow could’ve come in handy to deter some of its attacks.)

Scarecrow World Records

In 2019, Gatlinburg, Tennessee broke the world record for the “Largest Display of Scarecrows,” which had previously been set with 3,812 by the United Kingdom’s National Forest Adventure Farm. Gatlinburg aimed to have more than 4,000. Mission accomplished. They displayed 4,325 for their Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival.

Also in 2019, the Provincial Government of Isabela in Ilagan, Philippines, set the world record for the largest gathering of people dressed as scarecrows with 2,495. That’d be a scary sight, wouldn’t it? Or maybe that’s your sort of thing. In which case, let’s look at great places to see scarecrows.

Places to Hang Out with Scarecrows

The Japanese village of Nagoro is known for its scarecrows year-round. They outnumber the residents. There are 350 scarecrows but only 35 villagers!

In the U.S., scarecrow festivals are popular in the fall and one of the biggest is the Cambria Scarecrow Festival in California. It takes place from October 1 to October 31 every year. Scarecrow shenanigans abound with “hundreds of scarecrows golfing, sightseeing, swashbuckling, pedaling, dancing and flying through Cambria and San Simeon” in this community-wide event.

Fairfield County is called the “Scarecrow Capitol of Ohio” for good reason. Every autumn, people “fall” for the Trail of Scarecrows in which each community within the county decorates with scarecrows galore.

The Peddler’s Village “Scarecrows in the Village” is an eight-week event in New Hope, Pennsylvania, that displays over 100 scarecrows. Some are “inspired by famous characters, some are humorous, some are scary – but all of them are carefully handmade by Philly-area residents and organizations.”

Scarecrow festivals are also very common in the U.K. Some are held in the fall, but others like the Garstang Scarecrow Festival, the Holwell Scarecrow Festival, and the Battle Scarecrow Festival are held during July and August.

Check-In

Have you ever made a scarecrow and/or attended a scarecrow festival?