How The World Celebrates Thanksgiving

How The World Celebrates Thanksgiving

An estimated 87% of Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. The United States isn’t the only country that has some form of Thanksgiving celebration. While the actual reasons why Americans celebrate Thanksgiving are unique to the United States, we are not the only country that has a celebration due to a successful harvest of food. Many countries have similar holidays that bring together their family and friends for a huge feast.

Canada
Canada has actually been celebrating their own form of Thanksgiving long before we have been here in America. For them, the celebration started with the explorer Martin Frosbisher’s arrival in Newfoundland in 1578. After he landed in this New World, he had a small feast as a way to celebrate his safe arrival. Canadians celebrate their Thanksgiving every year on the second Monday in October. For the most part, the festivities are the same as those in the United States, with turkey and pie highlighting the feast. In most parts of the country, workers get the day off.

Germany
Germany celebrates Erntedankfest, which translates to “harvest thanksgiving festival.” It is more of a church service than dinner.  It is celebrated the first Sunday in October.  After church service, there are parades and a presentation of the harvest crown to a designated Queen.  A lot of Central Europe, including Austria and Switzerland, also take part in the festivities.

Brazil
In Brazil, they celebrate “el Dia de Ao de Graas,” which means a day of Thanksgiving. The tradition began in 1949 after the ambassador of Brazil was inspired after a visit to the U.S.  They celebrate on the 4th Thursday in November, but then the entire country does not participate, as it is not an official holiday.  Those that do follow the tradition have meals like we do with stuffing, turkey, mashed or sweet potato and pumpkin pie.

China
Every year China celebrates the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival “Chung Chiu”. This festival takes place in September or October and coincides with the 8th lunar month’s 15th day. The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is a celebration of the end of the harvest season. One of the traditional foods eaten during this huge feast is mooncakes. These pastries are flaky and have a variety of delectable fillings inside of them.  Mooncakes are round pastries that typically contain duck egg yolks, lotus seed paste, and sesame seeds. The yolk represents the full moon.

Vietnam: A similar harvest festival is celebrated on the same day in Vietnam, known as Têt-Trung-Thu or Trung Thu. They also give thanks and honor their families during this festive time at the end of September.

South Korea
South Korea’s Chuseok is celebrated in late September or early October. During this time, food from the fresh harvest is used to make a feast. Families get together to eat and share stories. It is a way to not only utilize the harvest but to honor those that have passed. This celebration is also filled with dancing and costumes. One of the more traditional dishes eaten is called Songpyeon. It is a little cake made out of rice and filled with ingredients like beans.

Japan
Every year on November 23rd Labor Thanksgiving Day is observed. All government entities in Japan are closed on this day in celebration. The origin this Thanksgiving holiday dates back to the seventh century around 678 A.D. It celebrated the upcoming harvest season then as time went on it changed to honor farmers to honoring workers. Special events are held across the country in honor of the holiday – Nagano Labour Festival

South India
Pongal, is the name for this region’s harvest festival.  The celebration is spread out over 4 days…..The first day they honor Indra, the king of the gods which is believed to control the clouds and the rain; on the 2nd day they honor Surya Pongal, their sun god with sugar cane sticks and a dish called sarkkarai pongal.  On the 3rd day, shepherds pay thanks to bulls and cows. On the final day families get together and have a feast celebrating the year’s successful harvest.

United Kingdom
Britsgiving is the UK’s unofficial holiday version of Thanksgiving. With so many expats in Britain it makes sense why it is celebrated there with many of the same foods we enjoy in the United States.

Liberia
Liberia’s Thanksgiving is celebrated during the first Thursday in November. It shouldn’t be surprising that Thanksgiving in this country is similar to America’s since Liberia was actually founded by slaves that were freed from the U.S. Traditional foods eaten on this day include spicy poultry dishes and mashed cassavas.

Although some of these celebrations are somewhat different than what we are used to in the United States, two things they have in common are family and good food. No matter how you choose to celebrate Thanksgiving, enjoy the time with your loved ones and don’t forget to eat a delicious dish or two.

Other posts that may interest you:

Which Wines To Pair With Your Holiday Meal
How The World Eats Their Turkeys
New Years Lucky Foods
Elf on the Shelf and Other Holiday Traditions
Interesting New Year’s Traditions from Around the World

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