Thanksgiving Celebrations Around The World
Thanksgiving day is a way to express heartfelt appreciation for the harvest received. This day is observed in many different ways around the world, and is generally considered as a special holiday celebration day that brings about peace, harmony and also fun to everyone around the globe. People partake in all kinds of festivities while observing this day and giving thanks for bountiful harvests experienced and wealth.
Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on different dates around the world. For people in the USA, it is observed on every fourth Thursday of November. It will be celebrated on
November 26, 2015. Next year it will fall on November 24, 2016.
The Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day on the second Monday of the month of October. It will be celebrated on October 12, 2015, Next year it will fall on October 10, 2016.
Interestingly, Thanksgiving Day is also known as Harvest Festival, Homowo Festival, Chu Suk, Jour De L’Action De Grace, Tadau Ka’amatan, and Kinro Kansah No Hi in other
places around the world.
Thanksgiving is an alluring day that is celebrated among many with the aim to have a lot of fun and enjoy cuisines such as turkeys and tender butter balls that are considered to be the traditional feast for this special occasion. Friends and family members are found indulging in dishes made with eel, seal, cod, lobster, duck, wild fowl, deer meat, and goose.
Thanksgiving In Other Parts of The World
The Thanksgiving ceremony is held with enthusiasm and vigor in many parts of the world, and is similar in nature to the August Moon Festival in China, Pongal in India, Chusok in Korea, Succoth in Jew, Kwanzaa in Africa, and Tet Trung Thu in Vietnam.
The list goes on and on. The only difference lies in the dates of the various festivals, customs and rituals, but the principle remains the same, in that they all thank God for a successful harvest.
Chinese Thanksgiving
The Chinese celebrate their August Moon festival around the 15th day of their 8th lunar month. This year they celebrate it on 30 Sept 2015.
They believe the moon is brightest and roundest on this day. They also call this day Women Festival as women have the gift of fertility within them, just like Mother Earth. Friends and families offer each other moon cakes on this important day.
Roman Thanksgiving
In Rome the harvest festival is known as Cerelia, which is celebrated in honor of the Goddess of Corn (The deity Ceres). Here the festival commenced on October 4th annually, where it was custom to give first produced grains, animals and fruits to the Goddess. At the same time, they would actively be involved in sports and have various parades and music festivals.
Korean Thanksgiving
In Korea, Thanksgiving referred to as Chu Suk is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month every year. It therefore falls on 15 August 2015/2016. Many Korean families take time of work and spend up to three days with their family and friends.
They start the celebration with rice cakes called “Songphyun”, which are made from rice, sesame seeds, beans, and chestnuts. The various families pay their respect to ancestors by visiting their tombs while offering them fruit and rice. They also play game, sing songs and celebrate in a similar fashion to the way the Americans do it. Activities such as wrestling, archery and singing competitions are common features of the Korean harvest festival.
The main concept around Thanksgiving Day is to celebrate and give thanks for receiving a fantastic harvest once again.
Happy Thanksgiving Day !
