Thanksgiving is a time for Americans to reflect and be thankful for their blessings over the past year. It is a holiday for spending time with family and eating an unhealthy amount of mashed potatoes. Although many Americans see Thanksgiving as a purely American holiday, there are many other countries around the world that celebrate holidays to commemorate times of gratitude.
Israel
Celebrated between September and October, the people of Israel partake in a festival called Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles. During this holy holiday, Jewish people take the time to think about the Israelites during their 40 years of wandering in the Levantine desert. According to the Bible, after the Israelites were freed from the slavery of the Egyptians, they traveled throughout the desert until they reached the promise land. In fact, the first Sukkot is mentioned in the Bible (Leviticus 23:42-43). During the 7-day festival, the Jewish people are only allowed to do certain amounts of work, and many take the time to celebrate the harvest.
India
The Pongal festival in India lasts for four days (January 12th-15th). Pongal is a celebration that marks the end of the winter season; it is also a meal—milk boiled rice—that they serve to their cattle during the festival. On the second day of the festival, the people toss their old clothes into fires. After the ritual takes place, they proceed to have an oil massage and dress up in new clothes. This process is meant to honor the sun god, Surya (interestingly, the second day of the festival is called Surya Pongal). Throughout the four days, their cattle are cleaned and clothed, and people use flour to decorate their floor.
China
Also called the “Chinese Thanksgiving”, the August Moon Festival is a time for the Chinese to give thanks for their summer harvest. They also worship the moon goddess Chang O and the moon itself. The August Moon Festival has been celebrated for 1,000 years—the first festival can be traced to the Zhou Dynasty in 1046 – 256 BC. The Chinese cook and hand out Mooncakes, a sweet desert, as gifts during the festival.
Liberia
Liberia celebrates a holiday similar to the American Thanksgiving. The American influence is due to the fact that the country was founded by freed U.S. slaves in the 1800s. Unlike America, the Liberian version of Thanksgiving is mostly celebrated by Christians. Liberians take cornucopias and fill them with local fruits. They then place these fruit baskets in their churches and auction them off after the church service. The holiday is also celebrated with lots of cultural dancing.