Roasted turkeys, grandma’s homemade pie and big family gatherings. Thanksgiving has become a symbolism of freedom and America. But, it isn’t just an American holiday—here is how the rest of the world celebrates Thanksgiving:
Let’s start with a country that celebrates Thanksgiving very similarly to America: Canada. Except for the date (Canadian Thanksgiving is on the second Monday of October), Canadian Thanksgiving is exactly the same as American Thanksgiving—foods include turkeys and mashed potatoes, and relatives from far away gather together in one house to give thanks to the land and rich harvest.
Brazilian Thanksgiving is also very similar to American Thanksgiving, if not, identical, with the same exact date and similar food.
Liberia also celebrates its Thanksgiving with similar dishes like roasted chicken and mashed potatoes eaten in big family gatherings. Celebrated on the first Tuesday of November, the Liberian Thanksgiving originates from Liberia’s freedom from slavery due to intervention by America, which is why its Thanksgiving tradition is similar to American Thanksgiving traditions.
In some countries, however, Thanksgiving is very different from the American Thanksgiving, with different meanings and even continuing for many days!
In China, Thanksgiving is a 1,000-year-old tradition where families gather and give mooncakes as gifts to each other.
In both South and North Korea, Thanksgiving is celebrated for three whole days, starting on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar during which people return to hometowns, eat feasts with their families, give gifts and express gratitude to their ancestors. In India, there are four-day long festivals in January to celebrate the beginning of the end of the winter season. Thanksgiving is even longer in Israel where people celebrate harvest and religion for a whole week, or in Barbados where harvest festivals continue for two months from June to August.
Whereas the general American population celebrates Thanksgiving, some countries only have certain groups of people celebrating. Thanksgiving in Germany, for example, is sponsored by local churches but is not an official holiday—it’s more of a local celebration for Christian people.
These were the different ways in which Thanksgiving is celebrated around the world. Whether it’s an official holiday or not, or whether people eat roasted turkeys or not, we know that it is a globally shared event where families can get together to spend quality time and give thanks to life and food.