Thanksgiving Celebrations Around The World
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On November 25, 2021, most Americans will get together with families and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. The secular holiday, observed annually on the fourth Thursday of November, centers around a delicious feast that typically includes turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Other fun traditions include participating in turkey trots and parades and seeking out "Black Friday" bargains. But not all countries observe the holiday on the same day or follow the same customs. Here are four variations of Thanksgiving celebrations from around the world.
Canada
Thanksgiving is primarily considered an American holiday. However, North America's first official Thanksgiving celebration is believed to have taken place in Nunavut, Canada, in 1578 — 43 years before the historic harvest feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts. It is credited to English navigator Martin Frobisher, who organized a celebration to give thanks for the safe arrival of his fleet.
The holiday's date was changed several times before finally being set to the second Monday of October in 1957. Thanksgiving in Canada is a relatively low-key affair with no big parades or retail sales. The holiday primarily focuses on families and friends getting together for a meal, very similar to the one served in the US. While many parts of the country get the day off, it is an optional holiday in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Labrador. As a result, the celebrations often take place the weekend before the holiday.
Brazil
Legend has it that Joaquim Nabuco, Brazil's first ambassador to the US, enjoyed the American holiday so much that he convinced his government to establish a similar day of thanks. Día de Ação de Graças, which is also celebrated annually on the last Thursday of November, begins with a church service to give thanks for the fall harvest. The meal that follows is similar to the American feast with one fun twist. The cranberry sauce is replaced with one made from jabuticaba — a local, grape-like fruit. The Brazilian holiday ends with a colorful and noisy carnival and parade.
Ghana
The West African country of Ghana celebrates its version of Thanksgiving in August or September. It is called Homowo, or "hooting at hunger," in the language of the local Ga tribe. As the story goes, the Ga settlers arrived in Ghana in the 16th century after facing many hardships, including a severe famine, during their travels across Africa. They celebrated their first harvest in Ghana with a feast, and a tradition was born.
The festival is preceded by a month-long ban on noise, especially drumming, a big part of many worshiping rituals. The Ga people believe the noise affects their crops and scares the spirits of their ancestors away. Similar to Thanksgiving, Homowo is a festival of food. The extensive menu includes large amounts of fish and "kpokpoi" a traditional dish made from fermented cornmeal and palm oil.
Japan
Japan's version of the holiday, called "Kinro Kansha no Hi" or Labor Thanksgiving, is observed annually on November 23. It originates from an ancient rice festival called Niinamesai, during which the Emperor of Japan would offer the season's first rice harvest to the gods and taste some himself. However, after World War II, the holiday's purpose shifted to celebrating the rights of Japanese workers. Today, Labor Thanksgiving is primarily observed with small acts of community service. Children often mark the occasion by handing out thank you notes to firefighters, police officers, and frontline workers.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Resources: treehugger.com, readersdigest.ca, wikipedia.org, tofugu.com,newsghana.com.gh, culturetrip.com
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141 Comments
- wolf18almost 3 yearsJust looking at this stuff makes me hungry
- jroeyalmost 3 yearsI can't wait til Thanksgiving thou also turkey and pie yum
- mad4booksalmost 3 yearsYay! Happy in a few days Thanksgiving! I have a question- What is the one thing/someone that you appreciate or thank the most? -mad4books (Sorry for being off DOGO, I had a lot of school HW)
- summer_beachalmost 3 yearsWe went to my Mamaw and Papaw's house for thanksgiving yesterday! A little while before we all left, me my little brother, my little sister, and all of my cousins painted pitchers! Me,my little sister, ( Contrgirl800) and the cousin I play with (ponygirl11) painted a running horse!
- summer_beachabout 2 yearsWell my little sister's name is @sassycat9 now
- 1zukumidoriyaalmost 3 yearsHappy thanks giving! Hope you all have a wonderful time this week, I'm off for nine days , and I got nothing to do here in this town, so happy thanks!
- shottiealmost 3 yearsI probably wont... i have to see my cousins. 🤢
- nauenalmost 3 yearshappy early thanksgiving!!
- sunfunalmost 3 yearsHappy early Thanksgiving 🍗🌽🍞
- adahmialmost 3 yearsMy favorite thing about Thanksgiving is visiting my grandparents and being able to see the rest of my family. The food is always amazing and the desserts are fantastic. I have helped over the years in making desserts. I make a cherry pie for Thanksgiving. There is never any leftovers of that by the end of the day.
- blueberryyogurtalmost 3 yearsEven though I don't celebrate Thanksgiving, I am still thankful for Taylor Swift 😅 (Any one else a Taylor Swift Fan?)
- wolf18almost 3 yearsLol
- lilypadsalmost 3 yearsHey guys I wish you a happy holiday happy friends giving or Thanksgiving.! 🍗🍾🍷🙂😋😎