Thanksgiving... a global holiday?
The holiday feels uniquely American, but other places celebrate it or something like it!
Short article today on account that it’s basically a whole holiday week for the United States. Yes, I know some people will work every day this week (myself included!) but millions more simply take the entire week off and devote it traveling or spending time with family. Anyway, in celebration of the holiday, I thought it might be fun to see how other places might celebrate it, or whatever variation that might exist. All that’s to say is… “gobble gobble!”
The United States
Probably not a huge surprise for most of us here in the United States, but the fourth Thursday of November is when we celebrate the holiday here, which is reminiscent of the first Thanksgiving in 1621. This historic meal, shared by the Pilgrims of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people, marked the harvest's end and a successful year. Funnily enough, despite being tied to an event well before the country ever existed, the United States did not make it an official, federal holiday until January 6th, 1885!
Canada
In the north, Canada welcomes Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October (crazy!). This tradition, appears to have its history dating all the way back to the voyages of Martin Frobisher in 1578, which would make it technically older than the U.S.’s holiday! That said, it appears that the first actual Thanksgiving holiday in Canada was held in 1872 to celebrate the recovery of the Prince of Wales from a serious illness. After 1879 celebrations were held every year but not always in October - it used to be observed around Armistice Day in November.
Unlike the United States, which has its holiday on Thursday and thus creates a long-weekend of a holiday, Canadians only get a single day. 🙁
Germany
While not technically Thanksgiving, across the Atlantic, in the serene rural landscapes of Germany, the first Sunday of October is reserved for Erntedankfest, a day of religious reverence and celebration for the year's harvest. And while this appears to be more tied to harvest celebrations, in a way, that’s all the American Thanksgiving is as well!
Japan
This one was a huge surprise to me! Apparently Japan celebrates a something called Labor Thanksgiving Day every year on November 23rd. This day, rooted in ancient harvest rituals, was reshaped post-World War II as a tribute to labor, production, and mutual gratitude. And unlike Germany’s various harvest celebrations, this one is a day off for Japanese and aligns almost perfectly with the United States’ holiday of, nearly, the same name. 🤯
Grenada
In the Caribbean, Grenada marks Thanksgiving on October 25th, but with a different vibe. This day remembers the 1983 U.S.-led intervention that brought “stability” after a period of upheaval. I’m really not sure how wide spread this holiday is there and I think the intervention by the United States has some critical questions attached to it that we’re not going to dissect as part of this article. Maybe in the future though!
Liberia
Liberia, influenced by American settlers, mirrors the U.S. Thanksgiving on the first Thursday of November. Their version, interwoven with themes of freedom and migration, is a vibrant mix of church services, music, and shared meals, reflecting the cultural cultural blend that is the United States and Africa.
Netherlands
Interestingly, there are echoes of Thanksgiving to be found in the Dutch city of Leiden, where American Thanksgiving Day perhaps finds its origins. This service, linking back to the Pilgrims' time in Leiden before their journey to America, merges Dutch and American traditions. Again, I don’t know how widespread this is, but seems to be an interesting parallel!
Other places
Other places seem to celebrate it or some variation of Thanksgiving, but mostly on the backs of US expatriates. Australia, for example, does appear to have a rather strong tradition, though informal, but from what I could tell its due to the prominence of Americans living there. So I really can’t say whether it would ever be considered an actual holiday.
For those of you in the United States, I hope you have a wonderful holiday and, if you’re from someplace that doesn’t celebrate this particular holiday, I hope you have maybe a more global view of Thanksgiving away from some of the stereotypes tied to American culture.
Canadian Thanksgiving is on the Monday, albeit most celebrate on the Sunday. So it always make for a long weekend regardless.
As a Canadian who's familiar with Canada but also the US (both of my parents were born there), I could attest that Americans make a much bigger deal with their Thanksgiving towards the end of November than Canadians around the second Monday of October. The US version has been embraced by a much wider of ethnicities (up to and including many Orthodox Jews, especially of the more modern variety) than the Canadian version. And I don't hear of nearly as much of a travel rush in Canada as in the US around Thanksgiving.