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THANKSGIVING CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE WORLD

11/19/2021

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GOD BLESS AMERICA
Most of us are aware of the history behind the Pilgrims and the first American Thanksgiving in 1621. It is an important national celebration in the United States – as it should be -- but Americans are a bit presumptuous to think the pilgrims “invented” Thanksgiving.

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Pilgrims first Thanksgiving at Plymouth by Jean Louis Gerome Ferris
Image Credit: Bettmann Archieve via Getty Images
Image Source: amazon.com/Thanksgiving-Gerome-Ferris
In fact, it is a matter of historic debate where the first Thanksgiving feast was held in North America and by whom, including two locations in Texas, two in Florida, one in Maine, two in Virginia, and five in Massachusetts. I didn't realize there were so many colonies and expeditions before 1621. Also, I noticed the articles referenced didn't list where those sites were located or who made the claims.

More than two sources, however, cited the first known Thanksgiving feast in North America as being celebrated in Palo Duro Canyon, Texas panhandle, in 1541 by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado and the "Tejas" of the Hasinai group of Caddo-speaking Native Americans. Who knew?


HARVEST FESTIVALS
Hundreds, and more likely thousands, of years before the fifteenth century, there were harvest festivals and celebrations held by nearly every agrarian culture in the world. These ancient peoples depended on an adequate autumn harvest to feed the population through the winter, and they understood that sun, rain, and good earth were required to make that happen. These natural phenomenon became worshiped as gods in many cultures, and harvest festivals the world over were oriented to celebrate the harvest, thank their local deities for a bountiful year, and/or pray for either continued good fortune or for a better harvest the next year.

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Lughnasad, Celtic Harvest Festival
Image Source: historicmysteries.com/lughnasadh
​This ancient tradition, religious and non-religious, sets the stage for worldwide “Thanksgiving” days.
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THANKSGIVING AROUND THE WORLD
The same basic elements that went into the first North American Thanksgiving, wherever it was, are embraced by other countries and reflected in their national holidays in other parts of the world. Some of them are harvest feasts of harvest and thanks completely unrelated to the U.S. holiday, and others are versions of the American tradition, albeit with modifications. Many are held on or near the fourth Thursday in November, while others are as early as September. 
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CANADA
The first Canadian Thanksgiving was held in 1578 ‒ about 40 years prior to the celebration at Plymouth ‒ Sir Martin Frobisher and his crew in Nunavut, giving thanks for the safety of their fleet.​

Later, such festivities drew inspiration from similar European holidays and gave early settlers a way to appreciate the fruits of a successful harvest. Canada’s first official Thanksgiving was held on November 6, 1859.

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GERMANY
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Germany’s Thanksgiving equivalent is known as Erntedankfest, which translates to ”harvest thanksgiving festival.” There is evidence that Erntedankfest celebrations happened thousands of years ago as pagan festivals.

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Image Source: allthatsinteresting.com/Germany
​Image Source: allthatsinteresting.com/Germany
Today Erntedankfest is a religious holiday for both the Catholic and Protestant churches. The altar is decorated with sheaves of wheat, and the fruits of the harvest. There is singing, celebration, and often a second service in the evening. After the second service, churchgoers distribute leftover or surplus food to the poor. Many communities have a Lanternumzug (Lantern Parade).
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Although this celebration began as a rural festival to give thanks for the harvest, all Germans still give thanks and celebrate.
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NETHERLANDS
Thanksgiving is observed by orthodox Protestant churches in the Netherlands on the first Wednesday in November (Dankdag [ nl]), but it is not a national or public holiday. Observers go to church in the evening.

However, the English Pilgrims weren’t the only Europeans who traveled across “the pond” for a different life in 1620. Dutch Pilgrims joined their English counterparts on the journey. The ship Speedwell left the city of Leiden in the Netherlands in 1620 and sailed to Southampton, England, where they picked up English pilgrims who traveled with them to the Americas.

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                         Pieterskerk in Leiden, Netherlands                                                                     Thanksgiving Decorations, Netherlands
                      Image Source: .wikipedia.org/wiki/nl:Pieterskerk                                                    Image Source: thecountriesof.com/Netherlands

In Leiden, the connection to the pilgrims is still strong and that community celebrates Thanksgiving on the same day as the United States. Leiden’s residents gather in a 900-year-old church Pieterskerk and celebrate the Speedwell’s successful voyage to the Americas.
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AUSTRALIA
Because Australia is located in the Southern Hemisphere, their harvest season is different than the Northern Hemisphere. Although a hearty meal to give thanks at the end of the growing season makes sense in the north, where winter is coming, in the south it’s the beginning of summer.

Australians enjoy harvest festivals around Easter time, but they don’t relate them to Thanksgiving.  They do, however, celebrate a National Day of Thanks the last Saturday in May, which is fall in the Southern Hemisphere..

At the beginning of the 21th Century, many Australians expressed their desire to have a national day each year to honor the country’s Catholic heritage, and the blessings and freedoms that Australians enjoy. In 2003, National Church leadership introduced these thoughts and dreams into the Australian church network and received unexpected support. Through many exchanges and discussions, Australia’s National Day of Thanksgiving was born and eventually set for the last Saturday of May each year.

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ISRAEL
Like other agrarian-based cultures, citizens of Israel have a form of harvest festival celebrating the gift of food and life. Israel’s is called Sukkot, the Feast of the Tabernacles. As well as a time to say thanks for the harvest, Sukkot also commemorates the protection of the Jewish people by God when they left Egypt for their promised land.

The celebration begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei and lasts seven days. The date upon which if falls on the western calendar varies, sometime between the months of September and October. It comes five days after Yom Kippur ‒ the Hebrew high holiday.

During the seven days of Sukkot, all meals are eaten in open-ceiling, wooden booths called sukkahs. The outdoor structures commemorate the temporary dwellings in which the Jewish people lived while on their journey from Egypt.
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​Community takes part in a traditional pilgrimage
Image Source: Ibtimes.Co.In/Sukkot--Feast-Tabernacles
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A sukkah  Image Source: torahportions.ffoz.org/portions-library/
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A sukkah - Image Source: torahportions.ffoz.org/portions-library/
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A sukkah - Image Source: looking4theblessedhope.com/feast-of-tabernacles
Special prayers and psalms are read at different points during the seven-day celebration, and everyone is encouraged to spend as much time in their sukkah as possible.
​
Sukkot is perhaps the Thanksgiving holiday that is most heavily influenced by religion, but it is nonetheless a celebration with the same central themes of all these holidays and festivals: food, family, and thankfulness.
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​CHINA
China celebrates their annual Chung Chiu Moon Festival, the fall harvest festival, on the 15th day of the eighth lunar cycle of the year, the full moon closest to September 15. On this day, Chinese families come together for a three-day feast featuring a sweet delicacy called the mooncake.       Image Source: chinahighlights.com/mooncake.htm                                   

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​​Families watch the full moon and sing and recite poetry about it. Chung Chiu is a particularly special holiday for couples, who can celebrate some romance under the full moonlight.

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​In the US it’s said the Chinese are the only people other than North Americans who celebrate Thanksgiving. American teachers have been teaching kids about this holiday and how America was settled by Pilgrims for several decades now, and it has caught on among younger people and Christians in China.
Image Source: en.ce.cn/Life/newsMoonFestival

Granted, it is generally thought of as a time to have a Western meal and thank friends, family, workmates, and teachers or bosses. They call it "Gan'en Jie" (感恩节, literally: 'thanks for grace holiday'). So foreigners in China might hear people say "thank you" and receive a small gift. New Chinese supermarkets in the big cities such as Shanghai and Beijing may also stock frozen turkey. 

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JAPAN
Japan observes a Labor Thanksgiving Day (Kinro Kansha no Hi) on November 23 every year, which is incorporated into Japan’s Happy Monday System. Not all Japanese citizens have the day off work, but all government entities are closed on this day in celebration of the country’s industrial workers and their progress.

Labor Thanksgiving Day is the modern name for Niiname-sai.

The origin of Japan’s Thanksgiving holiday actually dates back to the seventh century. The first record of the holiday is found in ancient records from 678 A.D., originally known as Niinamesai, an ancient cereals (rice, barley/wheat, foxtail millet, barnyard millet, proso millet, and beans) harvest festival. The holiday, which was then celebrated in November, “welcomed” the harvest season.

This celebration was accompanied by a harvest ritual by the Japanese emperor and the Royal Court. This ritual known as Shinjo-sai and involved the Emperor tasting the first rice of the harvest and honoring the harvest for the spirits, or kami.

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                                                  Image Source: whenistheholiday.com/Thanksgiving_Japan
As Japan progressed and evolved into an industrial country rather than an agrarian one, the celebrations switched from honoring farmers to honoring workers. This modern interpretation has been in practice since 1948, following the country’s expansion of their Constitution following World War II which established new laws regarded workers’ rights and fundamental human rights.

Although widely practiced, Instead of large festivals and parades, families have modest celebrations within private residences. A number of major events held on this day, such as a labor festival in the city of Nagano, which hosted the Olympic Winter Games in February 1998. Local labor organizations sponsor this event to encourage people to think about issues affecting peace, human rights, and the environment
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SOUTH KOREA
Korea’s Thanksgiving holiday Chuseok, also known as Hangawi, commemorates the first day that the full harvest moon appears, similar to other ancient harvest festivities from around the world. Families come together to welcome the harvest season and to spend some quality time with one another.
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Much like American Thanksgiving, there are specific foods associated with Chuseok. One of the most important foods is a rice cake known as songpyeon. The rice cake’s dough is made using finely ground, new rice, and filled with sesame seeds, chestnuts, red beans, or other delights. It’s then molded into a small ball.

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            Image Source: financialexpress.com/south-korea--chuseok                                                 Image Source: koreaonlinevisa.com/news/
Families come together on the night before Chuseok to make songpyeon as a bonding activity, illustrating the importance of family in Korean culture.

Korea’s Thanksgiving holiday also calls for gift-giving between both family and friends. Typical presents range from high-quality steaks and fresh fruit, to gift baskets filled with necessities for the year. Spam is actually one of the most common gifts since it’s incredibly popular in Korea.
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​LIBERIAl
Thanksgiving in Liberia is celebrated on the first Thursday of November each year. It is almost identical to the United States’ version of Thanksgiving, aside from the day it’s celebrated.
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Liberia, West Africa, was founded by freed American and Caribbean slaves in 1822. It was established for those free slaves who wanted more freedom and equality than the United States could offer. The country’s capital, Monrovia, is named after President James Monroe, who supported the creation of Liberia. The free slaves who choose to relocate to Liberia brought a lot of American traditions with them, and one of those traditions was the Thanksgiving holiday.

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              Image Source: pinterest.com/pin/527202700100336316/                                          Image Source: marketwatch.com/story/thanksgiving
Of course, Liberians put their own spin on the American traditions. Families get together and eat dinner consisting of chicken, green bean casserole, and mashed cassavas, which are a vegetable similar to potatoes. But Liberians like their food to be spicy, so different seasonings are added to give their dishes a kick.
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UNITED KINGDOM
It may be surprising to some that Thanksgiving is celebrated also in the United Kingdom, seeing as the U.S. and the U.K. have had a pretty turbulent past at times. But long before there were Brits or Americans, the people of what is now the United Kingdom celebrated harvest festivals just like much of the world. So it isn’t as much of a leap as it might appear on the surface.

“It {Thanksgiving] began in churches in the year 1843, when Robert Hawker invited local parishioners to a special thanksgiving service at a church in Cornwall. This resulted in the custom of decorating churches with home-grown products. In the old times, the success of crops determined the success or failure of the people. The natives of UK, pleased the god of fertility by offering him the first sheaf of corn. This was done to ensure a good harvest in the coming season.” thanksgiving-day.org/celebration-united-kingdom.html Prior to that time the Druids and Celts celebrated fall harvest festivals at well.


The holiday is unofficially dubbed “Brits-giving” in the UK and is celebrated by those who honor it on the 4th Thursday of November as it is in the US.

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BARBADOS
Like many other countries, Barbados’ answer to Thanksgiving comes in the form of a harvest festival called the Crop Over Festival. This is a 300-year-old tradition with origins from the sugarcane plantations on the Caribbean island. Slaves who worked in those plantations began celebrating the end of the sugarcane harvest season, which signaled the end of their strenuous plantation labor. The event included singing, dancing, and feasting. Drinking competitions were also a part of the celebration, as well as the tradition to climb a greased-up pole.
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Begun in the 17th century, Crop Over was suspended for a period of time in 1943 when Barbados suffered from economic struggles due to World War II and didn’t have the funding to continue. It was brought back to life 30 years later by the Barbados Tourist Board and a group of passionate Barbadia
ns.. 

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               Image Credit: Eye Ubiquitous/UIG via Getty Images                                              Image source: barbadostoday.bb/BarbadosCropOver
            
Image Source: allthatsinteresting.com/thanksgiving-Barbados
Now the festival is now renowned worldwide and lasts anywhere from six weeks to three months, and apparently has little to do with giving thanks, at least in the sense that most Americans celebrate.
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INDIA
Thanksgiving in India is usually found to be observed by the Christian populations. It is not a nationally recognized holiday and is known by different names in different parts of the country as a means to give thanks for bountiful harvest and flourishing of wealth.

As a multi-lingual, multi-cultural and secular country, the population participates in a number of harvest festivals in various regions, and the day is known for its Unity in Diversity. Harvest festivals are not national holidays in India but may be declared as State holidays by their respective regions. The purpose is to thank their deity’s.

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In southern India the end of the harvest is observed as Pongal. On this day, farmers bring the newly harvested rice and prepare sweet dishes. The people believe that by thanking their deity, they will remain happy and prosperous throughout the year.
Image Source: goabroad.com/articles/Thanksgiving-India

On this day, homes are neatly decorated and new clothing is adorned for the occasion. Prayers are offered, a variety of sweets are cooked and distributed to the neighbors and friends.

The festival is common to several parts of India but they are known by different names in various parts of the nation and occur on different days. Therefore the holiday is celebrated with diverse culture and rituals.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL
These are only some of the countries who celebrate what could be called a formal Thanksgiving, but enough to give you a good idea of how widespread this is. It is all about thinking of the things you are grateful for and giving thanks for those things, and doing it with family. Some of the others include (but are not limited to):
​
​     
Brazil                  Ghana              Greneda          Norfolk Island       Puerto Rico         Vietnam

       Malaysia 

​And as Snoppy asks, "Why can't we be grateful all year?"  
JUST SAYIN

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Sources
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/9-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving-110021067.html
https://allthatsinteresting.com/thanksgiving-in-other-countries
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/thanksgiving-around-the-world/
https://www.history.com/news/8-thanksgiving-celebrations-around-the-world
https://www.theifod.com/ten-other-countries-that-celebrate-thanksgiving
https://www.chinahighlights.com/festivals/thanksgiving-day.htm
https://tshirtatlowprice.com/thanksgiving-day-in-australia/
https://culturacolectiva.com/travel/thanksgiving-around-the-world-celebrations-traditions
https://www.thedailymeal.com/thanksgiving-family-traditions-across-america-slideshow-photos
https://whereintheworldislianna.com/miscellaneous/thanksgiving-traditions/
https://www.ibtimes.co.in/sukkot-2016-how-jewish-celebrate-feast-tabernacles-check-out-photos-700185
https://germangirlinamerica.com/what-is-erntedankfest/
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/when-is-thanksgiving-canada-2019-190659375.html
http://whenistheholiday.com/hc-5645-Labor_Thanksgiving_Day_in_Japan_in_2015
https://www.thedailymeal.com/thanksgiving-liberia
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/thanksgiving-in-8-other-countries-2015-11-25
http://www.thanksgiving-day.org/celebration-united-kingdom.html
https://www.goabroad.com/articles/gobble-up-these-7-thanksgiving-traditions-around-the-world
https://www.historicmysteries.com/lughnasadh-celtic-harvest-festival/
http://jschwind.blogspot.com/2010/11/thanksgiving-in-australia.html
https://torahportions.ffoz.org/portions-library/weekly-torah/raised-up-and-rebuilt.html
https://barbadostoday.bb/2021/08/06/bteditorial-crop-over-2022-in-some-form-or-fashion/
https://torahportions.ffoz.org/portions-library/weekly-torah/raised-up-and-rebuilt.html
https://looking4theblessedhope.com/2018/09/27/fulfillment-of-the-feast-of-tabernacles-and-our-eternal-choice/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving#:~:text=Thanksgiving%20is%20observed%20by%20orthodox%20Protestant%20churches%20in,church%20in%20the%20morning%20%28and%20occasionally%20afternoon%29%20too.

https://caribbeantrading.com/thanksgiving-traditions-in-puerto-rico/#:~:text=The%20locals%20have%20embraced%20the%20holiday%20eagerly%20and,So%20what%E2%80%99s%20different%20about%20a%20Puerto%20Rican%20Thanksgiving%3F

https://blog.japanesecartrade.com/1072-labour-thanksgiving-day-japan/#:~:text=Labor%20Thanksgiving%20Day%20in%20Japan%20celebrated%20as%20an,ancient%20festival%E2%80%99s%20origination%20dates%20back%20hundreds%20of%20years.


https://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/south-korea-extends-annual-chuseok-holiday-to-boost-domestic-spending/860442/


http://www.fundootimes.com/festivals/india-thanksgiving-day.html#:~:text=Thanksgiving%20Day%20in%20India%20is%20known%20with%20different,end%20of%20the%20harvest%20is%20observed%20as%20Pongal.


https://blog.japanesecartrade.com/1072-labour-thanksgiving-day-japan/#:~:text=Labor%20Thanksgiving%20Day%20in%20Japan%20celebrated%20as%20an,ancient%20festival%E2%80%99s%20origination%20dates%20back%20hundreds%20of%20years.


https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/nation/2019/11/26/native-americans-dominated-first-thanksgiving-feast-plymouth/4248526002/

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    Author R. Ann Siracusa

    Novelist, retired architect and urban planner, world traveler, quilter, owl collector, devoted wife-mother-grandmother, great-grandmother, and, according to some, wild-assed liberal.

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