Thanksgiving is an essential holiday that is deeply rooted in American culture. It is often celebrated with family gatherings, lots of food, and gratitude. However, the spirit of Thanksgiving isn’t limited to just America.  There are different variations of holidays in other countries that serve the same purpose as Thanksgiving which I will be mentioning in this article. In Germany, they celebrate a holiday called Erntedank, which translates to “harvest of thanks.” It takes place on the first Sunday of October. It is mainly a religious holiday that honors God for blessing farmers and other citizens with their crops and harvests. There are religious ceremonies that take place in Catholic and Christian churches, as well as communal gatherings and parades. Like America, the Germans have a large harvest meal that consists of meat, potatoes, bread, and pumpkin pie. However, the feasts and other festivities are shared with the community, rather than just family, which is how Americans spend Thanksgiving.  They do this to unite the communities, and to publicly acknowledge their gratitude for the blessings they have received from God.  

    In South Korea, they have a similar version of Thanksgiving called Chuseok, also known as Hangawi.  It is considered the most cherished holiday for South Koreans. The celebration lasts for three days, starting on the fifteenth day of the eighth month on the lunar calendar.  It is a day for families to honor their ancestors for giving them an abundant supply of food and harvest, and to pass down stories and traditions.  These traditions include various sources of entertainment and folk games to either watch or participate in.  Some of these are samulnori (traditional percussion quartet), talchum (mask dance), ganggsullae (Korean circle dance), and ssireum (Korean wrestling). Along with these special customs, they also enjoy a large meal which consists of their traditional foods. Some of the foods they eat are, songpyeon, japchae, and jeons.  Chuseok is a deeply spiritual day for South Koreans to share their values and traditions with friends and family.

  In Ghana, the Ga people participate in the Homowo Festival which commemorates the harvest season. The festival takes place in August and has a series of rituals, traditional songs, and dances.  They have a lot of cultural dishes served at their feast, but the main preparation is the kpokpoi, which is a special soup that has maize and palm nuts in it.  Homowo means “hooting at hunger,” which symbolizes the excitement of feasting with loved ones. 

       While the variations of Thanksgiving may vary across cultures, the theme of gratitude and appreciation for the harvest season remains international.  All of the different traditions reflect the rich cultural customs of our world and the shared human experience of giving thanks.