It’s almost that time of the year – the time when we all pause work, close schools, and find our way home to gear up for the big feast where we share meals and the perfect turkey roast with our loved ones. Truly, Thanksgiving seems like a smaller-scale Christmas and might feel as American as apple pie but do you know that it’s not just us? What if we told you that other countries in the world tune into this Thanksgiving tradition and have their own version?
From Canada to Japan, different countries celebrate gratitude, the harvest, and family time in some pretty fascinating ways. Perhaps you’ve been wondering, “What countries celebrate Thanksgiving?” Well, you’re in for a real treat. In this article, we will tell you about more Thanksgiving traditions from around the world and also show you how these countries give thanks in their own special way.
What Is Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is a holiday all about gathering together, showing gratitude, and sharing a meal. The real history of Thanksgiving goes back hundreds of years, in 1620 precisely, when a group of travelers, known as the Pilgrims, left England on a journey to the New World (now the U.S.) to start fresh. But when they arrived, life was harder than they imagined. They faced tough winters, unfamiliar land, and a serious shortage of food.
Thankfully, local Native Americans shared their knowledge about the land, teaching the Pilgrims how to grow crops and hunt local game. To show their appreciation, the Pilgrims invited their Native American friends to a feast in November 1621, celebrating a successful harvest. They all sat down together to enjoy a meal, marking what’s now remembered as the first Thanksgiving.
So, officially, when is Thanksgiving, and why does the USA celebrate Thanksgiving? Well, the celebration or holiday became a thing around 1789 when George Washington declared a national day of thanks, and in 1863, Abraham Lincoln set Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November. Finally, in 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt made it official and announced that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year.
When is Thanksgiving?
Since Thanksgiving in America is celebrated every fourth Thursday of November, the date for Thanksgiving in 2024 is slated for the 28th of November. But then, the U.S. isn’t the only country that celebrates this gratitude holiday. Canada has its own Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October, where people come together to show gratitude for the fall harvest.
Does The UK Celebrate Thanksgiving
Do they celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK? Well, Thanksgiving in England just doesn’t hold the same meaning as the holiday isn’t in the country’s official calendar because the British never had a reason to celebrate a successful journey to a new land. So, while Thanksgiving is a major holiday in the U.S., it’s not widely celebrated in the UK, and there’s no official Thanksgiving holiday UK. However, Americans living in the UK sometimes invite British friends and family to join in the traditional Thanksgiving meal of sharing turkey, pumpkin pie, and all the classic dishes.
Does Europe celebrate Thanksgiving?
Europe does not officially celebrate Thanksgiving, but the spirit of gathering and gratitude is still alive in various forms. For example, in rural areas of Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, communities hold Erntedankfest which is a traditional harvest festival in September or October, depending on the region. Bear in mind that there’s no national Thanksgiving holiday, but these festivals are a time to give thanks for the year’s harvest.
Additionally, Thanksgiving is celebrated in a unique spot in Europe called, Leiden, in Netherlands, a city just southwest of Amsterdam. This is where many Pilgrims lived before their journey to Plymouth Rock. So, each year on Thanksgiving, a church called Pieterskerk church in there in Leiden holds a special service to honor its history.
Do Other Countries Celebrate Thanksgiving?
Yes, other countries do celebrate Thanksgiving even though the holiday is best known in the U.S. Some of the countries include, Canada, Liberia, Saint Lucia, Germany, Brazil, the Philippines, parts of Europe, and many more.
What Countries Celebrate Thanksgiving?
You might wonder what countries celebrate Thanksgiving and why other countries celebrate it. Well, they do for several reasons. We will explore both questions in this section.
Australia
Out of curiosity, one may ask, does Australia celebrate Thanksgiving? Well, Thanksgiving isn’t widely celebrated in Australia or New Zealand. However, there’s a small Australian territory northeast of Sydney called, Norfolk Island where this holiday is officially recognized. Here, Thanksgiving takes place on the last Wednesday in November.
Interestingly, the story behind this unique tradition dates back to the 19th century. Norfolk Island originally started as a British prison colony but was abandoned until descendants of the Bounty Mutineers settled there and found the old structures left behind. In 1890, American whalers introduced Thanksgiving to the island, and Isaac Robinson, a local trader, and later American consul, helped spread the tradition, which the island still celebrates today. The Thanksgiving celebration usually has the island’s residents going for church service, followed by a feast that mixes American Thanksgiving dishes with local flavors like banana pilaf and fish salad.
Canada
Do you know that the Canadian Thanksgiving has a long history that goes back even further than its American counterpart? Quite interesting right? The first Canadian Thanksgiving was actually held in 1578, when English explorer Martin Frobisher and his crew celebrated their safe arrival near present-day Newfoundland. This meal was a simple one that included salt beef, biscuits, and mushy peas, but it marked the beginning of the Canadian tradition of giving thanks. This happened over 40 years before the first American Thanksgiving in 1621.
Today, Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October. That’s about six weeks before Americans have their Thanksgiving. The holiday is similar to the American version, with turkey being the star of the meal. But Canadians have some unique twists! For example, poutine, a dish made of French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy, is often found on the dinner table in most families living in Canada, particularly in the French-speaking province of Quebec, where the celebration is called Action de Grâce.
Mexico
Mexico is another country that celebrates Thanksgiving. They call it, Día de Acción de Gracias, and it is celebrated on the same day as American Thanksgiving, which is the fourth Thursday in November. However, it’s not usually an official holiday in the country, but families with U.S. connections or who simply enjoy the tradition have given it a unique Mexican twist. You might see turkey alongside tamales or apple pie empanadas on the table. The focus here is on spending time with loved ones, sharing food, drinks, and thanks.
Liberia
Liberian Thanksgiving, which is celebrated on the first Thursday of November, is a holiday rooted in the country’s history. How did Thanksgiving find its way to the country? Well, Liberia was founded by freed American slaves in 1822, and Thanksgiving was brought over as a way for people to give thanks for the blessings of the year. However, unlike in the U.S., it’s not tied to a fall harvest, as Liberians usually finish harvesting before November.
Thanksgiving always starts with a church service to express gratitude for blessings like health, food, and good weather. Families gather afterward for a meal that combines American dishes, like turkey, with local favorites such as jollof rice, cassava, and fufu.
South Korea
The Korean Thanksgiving is known as Chuseok. It’s always such a memorable three-day holiday celebration done in honor of the autumn harvest and to pay respect to the ancestors. It usually takes place in mid-September or early October, and in 2024, it fell on September 17. During Chuseok, families travel to their ancestral hometowns, where they prepare and enjoy songpyeon, traditional rice cakes filled with sweet or savory fillings, steamed on pine needles.
Truly, the holiday is all about food, family, and tradition. People gather to share meals, tell stories, and express gratitude for the harvest.
Brazil
Brazil also celebrates Thanksgiving but it’s called, Dia de Ação de Graças and it follows the American tradition of a harvest feast. It’s celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, just like in the U.S., but it didn’t become an official holiday until 1949. The holiday was introduced by Brazilian ambassador Joaquim Nabuco, who was inspired by the American tradition and thought it would help bring people together. Even with his declaration, it’s still not a widely celebrated holiday but more Brazilians are embracing it each year.
Interestingly, the Thanksgiving meal in Brazil is similar to the American one, with turkey, mashed potatoes, apple pie, and stuffing, but with a Brazilian touch, like adding feijoada (a hearty bean stew) or jabuticaba sauce instead of cranberry sauce. Also, many who celebrate Thanksgiving also attend church services to give thanks for the past year’s blessings.
India
It’s so interesting how the Indians, especially those in the South, took their Thanksgiving celebration to another level. Theirs is called Pongal, and it’s usually a four-day festival full of joy, gratitude, and family gatherings. It is celebrated by the Tamil community in Tamil Nadu. They take it as time to thank the Sun God, nature, and the animals that help with farming. The name “Pongal” comes from the Tamil word pongu, meaning “to boil over” or “overflow.”
The festival begins in mid-January with four distinct days of celebration, and here’s how it goes:
- Bhogi Pongal – A day of renewal where people honor the rain god, Lord Indra, and clean out old belongings.
- Surya Pongal– The main day of the festival where the Sun God is celebrated with the boiling of milk and rice while chanting Pongalo Pongal!
- Maatu Pongal – A day to thank the cattle, which help with the harvest.
- Kaanum Pongal – A day for relaxation, enjoying time with loved ones, and sharing a feast with the community.
Throughout the festival, families clean their homes, share meals, and exchange gifts.
Japan
In Japan, Thanksgiving is merely to honor Labourers, and it’s called Kinro Kansha no Hi. Celebrated on November 23rd, its roots go back over 2,000 years to the 7th century B.C.E. It began as Niiname-sai, a harvest festival celebrating the first rice crop of the year.
Today, the focus has shifted to honoring everyday laborers. So, it doesn’t feature big feasts or parades like the U.S. but one of the key traditions includes the Nagano Labour Festival, which highlights environmental and human rights issues. Children also make crafts to thank workers like police officers, firefighters, and hospital staff. People take a break from work or school, write thank-you notes to workers, and enjoy seasonal dishes to mark the occasion. Overall, Thanksgiving in Japan is a mix of Thanksgiving and Labor Day in the U.S.
Ghana
Ghana is one of the African countries that celebrate Thanksgiving, and it’s done in such a unique way. Ghananins call it the Homowo Festival. The word “Homowo” comes from the Ga language, meaning “to hoot at hunger”, and it originated after the Ga people experienced a famine in the 16th century. After a long period of scarcity, the people were finally blessed with rain, which allowed them to grow crops again. To celebrate their newfound abundance, they held a feast, and this feast grew into the Homowo Festival. So, It’s essentially a festival that celebrates food and mocks hunger.
The festival usually stretches in 3 months, taking place between late August and early September, and its roots are linked to traditions like Passover in the Jewish culture. Aside from food, Homowo is a time for meditation, prayer, traditional dances, and drumming.
Rwanda
If you want to witness Thanksgiving the African way, Umuganura Day in Rwanda is a good way to start. The word “Umuganura” means “first fruits” in Kinyarwanda, and the festival is all about sharing the first harvest of the season. It’s a time when Rwandans come together as a community to honor their elders, offering them the first fruits of the harvest as a sign of respect. At the same time, they also share the best crops with those whose harvests may not have done as well.
But has Umuganura always been a part of the Rwanda culture? The answer is yes but colonial powers stopped the festival in 1925. However, after a long break, the holiday was revived in 2011 as a public holiday. Now, the day is not only a celebration of the harvest but also a chance for Rwandans to celebrate their independence from colonial rule.
Poland
Poland’s Thanksgiving or harvest season is called Dożynki and it all started in the 16th century. Originally, it was a time for landowners to show gratitude and share the bounty of the harvest with the workers who helped grow the crops. The celebration was marked by dancing, feasting, and the creation of harvest wreaths, which were believed to bring fertility and blessings for the next harvest.
Today, however, the festival has also become more religious even though feasts continue to be a big part of it. Now, many Polish people pilgrimage to Jasna Góra in Częstochowa, a famous pilgrimage site, to seek blessings for the coming year.
Grenada
Grenada is a country in the Caribbean that celebrate their Thanksgiving on October 25th of every year. However, theirs is not aimed at celebration of the harvest season, rather it’s a day set aside to remember the 1983 military intervention by the United States and Caribbean countries to bring peace after the death of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop.
For this reason, Thanksgiving in Grenada is an official public holiday and people celebrate with ceremonies, spending time with family and friends, sharing meals and even beach cook-outs. Basically anything fun to relax on this day!
How many countries celebrate Thanksgiving?
If you’re asking how many countries celebrate Thanksgiving, the answer is 16. From the stories we shared above, you can see that Thanksgiving is a special time of year in many countries, where people give thanks for family, good health, a successful harvest, and many other blessings. And on why other countries celebrate Thanksgiving, sometimes, the holiday isn’t just about the harvest. For example, in Rwanda and Grenada, the holidays mark significant historical events, like triumphing over hardship.
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FAQ On What Countries Celebrate Thanksgiving
Why do USA celebrate Thanksgiving?
The USA celebrates Thanksgiving to give thanks for the harvest and other blessings. Originally, it began as a celebration among the Pilgrims and Native Americans in 1621 to mark a successful harvest. However, the celebration has gone beyond its Puritan origins. Today, Thanksgiving symbolizes intercultural peace, America’s welcoming spirit for newcomers, and the importance of home and family.
How do they celebrate Thanksgiving In The Great Britain?
Thanksgiving in Great Britain isn’t an official holiday, so it’s not widely celebrated. However, some people, particularly Americans in the country usually celebrate it privately by hosting a traditional Thanksgiving meal with friends and family to enjoy classic foods like turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie.
Does Europe celebrate Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is not widely celebrated across Europe, but there are a few places where it is observed like in Leiden in the Netherlands where many of the Pilgrims who later sailed to Plymouth Rock lived.
Does Australia celebrate Thanksgiving?
Australia does not officially celebrate Thanksgiving as a public holiday, and it is not recognized on the national calendar. However, some people especially those with American connections, may choose to celebrate Thanksgiving privately by gathering with family and friends and sharing a meal.
Why do other countries celebrate Thanksgiving?
Other countries celebrate Thanksgiving to express gratitude for various blessings, such as family, good health, and a successful harvest. Some countries like India use that day to honor their ancestors and in some cultures, like in Rwanda and Grenada, the holiday celebrates important historical events like overcoming hardship and achieving independence.
Does Spain celebrate Thanksgiving?
Spain does not traditionally celebrate Thanksgiving. However, Spaniards love gathering with family and friends for big meals, so while Thanksgiving is not a holiday there, the spirit of sharing food and company is something they enjoy in their own way.
