People Celebrate Thanksgiving In Different Ways

Thanksgiving is celebrated differently depending on what country you live in. Some countries do not celebrate Thanksgiving at all. Your Thanksgiving celebration might look similar to, or vastly different from, how people in various countries celebrate it with their families.

History.com pointed out that Thanksgiving falls under a category of festivals that spans cultures, continents, and millennia. In ancient times, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans feasted and paid tribute to their gods after the fall harvest. Thanksgiving also bears a resemblance to the ancient Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot. Finally, historians have noted that Native Americans had a rich tradition of commemorating the fall harvest with feasting and merrymaking long before Europeans set foot on America’s shores.

Britannica.com wrote that for Thanksgiving, the English colonists went “fowling” – likely for geese and ducks. The Wampanoag people contributed venison to the feast, which included the fowl and probably fish, eels, shellfish, stews, vegetables, and beer. 

World Atlas pointed out that Thanksgiving in the United States is held on the last Thursday in November every year. Thanksgiving holiday celebrations other than the US include Germany, Canada, Grenada, and Korea. The purpose of all of these celebrations is to express gratitude.

The United States celebrates what is known as “American Thanksgiving”. It was first held in 1621 by the English pilgrims who were celebrating a successful harvest. President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in America in 1863 during the American civil war. He also declared that the fourth Thursday of November should be set apart to give thanks to God in prayer. Today, Americans observe Thanksgiving to celebrate good health, blessings in their family, and prosperity. Thanksgiving dinner almost always includes turkey.

Governor General of Canada, Vincent Massey, declared Thanksgiving a holiday on January 31, 1957. Thanksgiving is held annually in Canada on the second Monday of October to celebrate the blessings of the previous year and the harvest of the year. The day is marked by spending time with family over a feast with the food mostly served including roasted turkey, autumn vegetables, sweet corn, and sweet potatoes, accompanied with a lot of celebrations and religious activities to give thanks.

Germany celebrates “Erntedankfest”, which means “harvest thanksgiving festival.” The holiday is held on the first Sunday of October. The main reason for the holiday is to celebrate the good autumn harvest. It is mostly a rural harvest time observance marked by Choral singing, music, services in the church, and Thanksgiving procession. The harvest queen known as “Erntekrone” is presented with a harvest crown during the celebration.

Grenada holds Thanksgiving as a public holiday on October 25 every year. It is meant to commemorate the 1983 Caribbean and America joint forces intervention in Grenada. The intervention was meant to restore the stability of the country after the death of the then prime minister Maurice Bishop. Thanksgiving in Grenada is marked by formal ceremonies and events.

Korea celebrates “Chuseok” on the 8th of the lunar month or autumn to celebrate the plentiful harvest of the year. It is one of the most popular holidays in Korea where families come together and give thanks to their ancestors. During their Thanksgiving, freshly harvested rice, alcohol, and songpeyon are offered to the ancestors. Later, members come together and feast on tasteful traditional meals. Songpyeon is one of the major foods served on this day. It is prepared using rice powder that is needed into small sizes, and then filled with beans, chestnuts, and other ingredients.

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