As November nears an end, and the temperatures start to drop, it’s time to get ready for the holiday season! This Thursday is Thanksgiving, and it is a wonderful time to get together with family and friends, and enjoy festive celebrations together.
There are a number of different ways that people celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States and other autumnal harvest festivals around the world, but each culture shares a similar sentiment – to spend quality time with friends and family, give thanks, and enjoy a feast together.
Before Thanksgiving became one of the most cherished holidays in the U.S., it was a traditional autumnal feast in the early 1600s. Though records of the first ‘Thanksgiving’ are hard to come by, it probably looked much different to what we are used to today, decorated with venison, wild birds, and corn. Turkey has become almost synonymous with the celebration, but it may not have been offered in its conception!
In Canada, the first Thanksgiving was celebrated 40 years before the first settlers even arrived in the modern-day United States! It is still celebrated on the first Monday in October throughout the country with turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, and more.
In Japan, the Nagano Labour Festival now honors the workers of Japan, as it transitioned from an agricultural to industrial economy. Its roots, though, date back to 678 A.D. and is still celebrated on November 23.
Ghana’s Homowo festival honors the famine of the Ga tribe in Ghana and celebrates to commemorate the fall of rain and the end of the famine. To celebrate, Accra enforces a noise ban and limits fishing in the lagoons for a month, followed by harvest celebrations.
Around the world, these festivities celebrate the wonders of harvest season, and the joy of community gathering. Happy Thanksgiving! We hope your celebrations bring you great happiness!
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