6 Thanksgiving celebrations around the globe

In the United States, we observe Thanksgiving the last Thursday in November. It’s a cornucopia-filled holiday with traditions unique to America. It is celebrated to give thanks for the fall harvest with historical references to native Indians and Pilgrim settlers. Americans are not the only country that ritualizes a feast of thanks. Many other countries observe days of thanksgiving and a few of the festivals date back thousands of years. Here are six Thanksgiving celebrations around the globe:

Moon Cake Festival- China

On the 15^th day of the eighth lunar month the Chinese celebrate the end of their harvest season with a huge feast. Instead of pumpkin or apple pie, moon cakes are served. The Chinese believe the moon, on this date, is at its maximum brightness for the year. In 2019 it was celebrated on September 13.

Sukkot- Israel

Jews have celebrated Sukkot for 3000 years. It begins on the 15 day of Tishri five days after Yom Kippur. (This year it was celebrated from October 13-20.) The holiday was named after the huts (sukkots) the Israelites lived in as they roamed the desert with Moses for 40 years. Sukkot lasts for eight days. Jewish families build small sukkots to remember the trials and tribulations of their ancestors during their escape from Egypt as they journeyed to the Promised Land. Fruit and vegetables are hung in the huts including apples, pomegranates, corn, and grapes. On the first two nights of Sukkot it is customary for families to eat their meals in the huts under the starry sky.

Thanksgiving- Canada

The Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving a month earlier than their southern neighbors. On the second Monday in October Canadians celebrate a European farming custom to toast a plentiful harvest. (In 2019 it was celebrated on October 14.) The Canadian Parliament officially blessed Thanksgiving in 1957. Like their American brothers and sisters, the centerpiece on a Canadian Thanksgiving table is a succulent turkey.

Chusok- Korea

The Korean Harvest Moon Festival or Chusok is held on the 15^th day of the eighth lunar month, a holiday with a 2000-year history. (This year, Chusok was held from September 12-14.) Chusok lasts for three days when families gather together under the moonlight to remember their ancestors and to thank them for the bountiful harvest.

Thanksgiving- UK

Like the Canadians, Thanksgiving in the UK is celebrated on the second Monday in October. In the UK it’s a harvest festival with religious overtones thanking God for the year’s plentiful harvest. People also thank their families and friends for their help. Roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and veggies are served. Gifts of flowers, baked cookies, or wine are also exchanged.

Labor-Thanksgiving Day

Kinro Kansha no Hi is a national holiday in Japan held on November 23 of each year. Like it’s US counterpart, Japan’s Thanksgiving was originally a fall harvest festival. Today it has become a holiday to celebrate Japanese workers. It is customary for school children to compose thank you cards and wrap gifts for municipal workers like police, firefighters, and hospital workers. It’s the time to commemorate labor and production and give thanks. The favorite food for this holiday is mashed potatoes. Throughout Japan events are held like the Nagano Labor Festival. 

No matter where you live or your customs of celebration, may this Thanksgiving be a time of family, love, peace, and full tummies.

 

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