Thanksgivings around the World
Festivals are not just the means of entertainment or rejoice. They also reflect our heritage, culture and traditions. Thanksgiving is celebrated around the world to extend thanks for the harvest, enjoying bountiful food, and spending time with family and friends. Even though Thanksgiving seems to be uniquely American, the tradition is followed in different countries in various forms.
Thanksgiving, USA
Celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving in the USA is a national holiday that commemorates the feast the Pilgrims held after the first harvest in 1621. The first celebration was attended by 90 Native Americans and 53 pilgrims. Thanksgiving has been celebrated intermittently ever since.
Thanksgiving dinner with family plays a central role in the celebrations, with Americans eating more food on Thanksgiving Day than any other day of the year, including Christmas. Roast turkey is essential approximately 45 million of them are consumed every year – as well as mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet corn and assorted fall vegetables, all food that is native to the Americans.
Parades are a big part of the celebrations too. They range from small town affairs featuring the local marching band to Macy's Thanksgiving parade through the streets of New York. Billed as the world's largest parade, it features parade floats and huge balloons, usually based on cartoon characters, current Broadway
Chuseok, South Korea
Chuseok, also called Hangnail, is a Korean festive holiday celebrated on the 15th day of August, according to the lunar calendar. The festival is celebrated to commemorate the fall harvest and to honour one's ancestors. Similar to Thanksgiving Day in the USA, the Harvest Moon Festival, as it is also known, is one of the most popular holidays in Korea. Traditionally, Koreans return to their ancestral hometowns to celebrate with their families.
The festival day begins with a ceremony in which food and wine are offered to ancestors. This is followed by a meal that typically consists of fish and newly harvested vegetables and grains. The food most associated with the holiday is songpyon, a crescent-shaped rice cake that is cooked on a bed of pine needles. Later in the day, celebrants visit the graves of relatives, where more ceremonies are performed. Chuseok is also marked by gift giving and athletic events, including tug-of- war competitions, archery contests, and sirrum, Korean wrestling matches. Other activities include dancing and music playing. On this day, many Koreans wear hanbok, the traditional clothing.
Dia de Acao de Gracas, Brazil
In Brazil, Thanksgiving is a relatively new festival but it's celebrated with great gusto. It is said that when the former Brazilian President, Gaspar Dutra visited the USA, he was fascinated with the holiday and established the festival in his home country in 1949.
Dia de Acao de Gracas begins with the mass to offer thanks for an abundant harvest then there is a vibrant carnival and revellers head to the beach, Peru. Roasted turkey is still the centrepiece of the Brazilian Thanksgiving feast, but there are a few exotic twists. Cranberries do not grow in Brazil, so a sauce made of Jaboticaba, known as the 'Brazilian grape', is whipped up to spread on the bird.
Thanksgiving, Liberia
Liberian Thanksgiving is a vibrant and spicy affair. Founded in the 19thcentury by liberated American slaves, the festival gives thanks for freedom. Liberians celebrate the good things in life, while also marking their troubled past.
After a church service, families gather for a spread of roasted chicken, traditional green bean casserole and mashed cassava- all liberally doused with feast is topped off (ended) with an evening of dancing, singing and celebration.
Crop Over, Barbados
The celebration of Crop Over is Barbados's biggest party. The festival spreads over a length of 12 weeks, from May until August, when it culminates in the massive finale: the Grand Kadooment.
Originally a celebration of the sugar cane harvest, Crop Over has been celebrated since the 1780s when Barbados was the world's largest produce of the sweet-stuff. Carnivals pervade the lengthy celebrations, and calypso bands and dancers compete in ever grander and more flamboyant displays.
Homowo, Ghana
The Homowo festival, meaning to jeer or hoot at hunger in Ghana historically celebrates the ending of a long famine suffered by the Ghanaians. What could be better to celebrate the end of shortage than a feast? Palm nut soup with fish is served alongside traditional Kpokoi, a kind of grits made from unleavened corn dough and palm oil.
Starting in May with the sowing of millet, the festival takes place through August and September after a ban on drumming and singing that is meant to encourage proper care of the crops. The festival culminates in a night of singing and dancing and frantic beating of drums in loud defiance of hunger and famine.
Mehregan, Iran
A festival that dates back at least to the 4th century BC, Mehregan in Iran is held on the 196th day of the Iranian year. The festival celebrates a successful harvest and the goddess Mehr.
The celebration calls for new clothes, community blessings and a feast on a table decorated with marjoram. The spread includes sherbert drinks and lavish dinners; in some villages, a sheep is sacrificed and slow- roasted throughout the day.
Revellers rub kohl around their eyes as a good omen, and throw handfuls of marjoram, lotus and sugar plum seeds over each other.
Answer the following questions
a. What is the main feature of American Thanksgiving? |
The main feature of American Thanksgiving is a feast with family and friends. |
b. What do parades include in Thanksgiving in America? |
Parades in Thanksgiving in America include floats, balloons, and performances. |
c. When and why is Chuseok celebrated in Korea? |
Chuseok is celebrated in Korea on the 15th day of August according to the lunar calendar to commemorate the fall harvest and honor ancestors. |
d. How did Thanksgiving begin in Brazil? |
Thanksgiving began in Brazil when the former Brazilian President, Gaspar Dutra, established the festival after being inspired by the holiday during his visit to the USA. |
e. Who started Thanksgiving in Liberia? Why was it started? |
Thanksgiving in Liberia was started by liberated American slaves to celebrate their freedom and mark their troubled past. |
f. What is Thanksgiving celebrated in Barbados for? |
Thanksgiving is celebrated in Barbados to commemorate the sugar cane harvest. |
g. What is Homowo marked in Ghana? |
Homowo in Ghana is marked as a celebration to jeer or hoot at hunger and celebrate the end of a long famine. |
Thanksgiving Around the World Word Meaning
Word (Phonetic Transcription) |
rejoice /rɪˈdʒɔɪs/ |
celebrate, enjoy, be happy |
to feel or show great joy or happiness |
extend /ɪkˈstɛnd/ |
offer, give, present |
to make something last longer or reach further |
bountiful /ˈbaʊntɪfʊl/ |
abundant, plentiful, generous |
having a large quantity or amount; plentiful or generous |
commemorates /kəˈmɛməreɪts/ |
honors, celebrates, remembers |
to honor or remember an important event or person |
feast /fiːst/ |
banquet, meal, dinner |
a large and special meal that is prepared for a celebration |
intermittently /ˌɪntərˈmɪtəntli/ |
occasionally, sporadically, on and off |
happening at irregular intervals; not continuously |
parade /pəˈreɪd/ |
procession, march, pageant |
a public procession or organized march for celebration or display |
affair /əˈfɛr/ |
event, occasion, happening |
a particular event or occasion |
billed /bɪld/ |
announced, publicized, promoted |
described or advertised in a particular way |
float /floʊt/ |
procession, display, exhibit |
a decorated vehicle or platform that is part of a parade |
lunar /ˈluːnər/ |
moon-related, lunar cycle, moon phase |
relating to the moon or based on the moon's cycle or phases |
honour /ˈɑːnər/ |
respect, admire, revere |
to show respect or admiration for someone or something |
ancestral /ænˈsɛstrəl/ |
hereditary, familial, inherited |
related to or inherited from one's ancestors |
typically /ˈtɪpɪkəli/ |
usually, normally, commonly |
usually; in a way that is typical or common |
crescent-shaped /ˈkrɛsənt ʃeɪpt/ |
curved, curved like a crescent, semicircular |
having the shape of a curved, narrow, and pointed shape, similar to the shape of the moon in its first or last quarter |
celebrants /ˈsɛləbrənts/ |
participants, revelers, partygoers |
people who take part in a celebration or festive occasion |
tug-of-war /ˈtʌɡ əv wɔr/ |
contest, competition, struggle |
a game in which two teams pull on opposite ends of a rope, trying to overpower each other |
archery /ˈɑːrtʃəri/ |
bow and arrow, marksmanship, shooting |
the sport or skill of shooting arrows with a bow |
sirrum /ˈsɪrəm/ |
wrestling, grappling, hand-to-hand combat |
a traditional form of wrestling or hand-to-hand combat in Korean culture |
gusto /ˈɡʌstoʊ/ |
enthusiasm, zest, vigor |
great enjoyment, energy, and enthusiasm |
fascinated /ˈfæsəneɪtɪd/ |
captivated, intrigued, engrossed |
extremely interested or attracted by something |
abundant /əˈbʌndənt/ |
plentiful, ample, copious |
existing or available in large quantities; plentiful |
vibrant /ˈvaɪbrənt/ |
lively, energetic, dynamic |
full of life, energy, and activity |
carnival /ˈkɑːrnɪvəl/ |
festival, celebration, fiesta |
a festive season or period of celebration before Lent, typically involving public revelry, processions, and street parties |
revellers /ˈrɛvələrz/ |
partygoers, merrymakers, celebrants |
people who engage in lively and noisy festivities or parties |
centrepiece /ˈsɛntərpiːs/ |
focal point, highlight, main attraction |
the most important or attractive part or feature of something |
exotic /ɪɡˈzɑːtɪk/ |
foreign, unfamiliar, unusual |
originating from or characteristic of a distant foreign country; strikingly unusual or strange |
Jaboticaba /ˌdʒæbəˈtɪkəbə/ |
Brazilian grape, Myrciaria cauliflora |
a fruit-bearing tree native to Brazil, known for its grape-like fruits |
whipped-up /wɪpt ʌp/ |
prepared, mixed, beaten |
made quickly or in a rapid manner |
liberally /ˈlɪbərəli/ |
generously, abundantly, freely |
in large or generous amounts |
doused /daʊst/ |
soaked, wet, drenched |
covered or soaked with a liquid |
grits /ɡrɪts/ |
porridge, cornmeal, polenta |
a dish made from coarsely ground corn, boiled and served as a breakfast food or side dish |
culminates /ˈkʌlməneɪts/ |
reaches a climax, peaks, concludes |
reaches the highest point or climax |
grand /ɡrænd/ |
magnificent, impressive, spectacular |
large and impressive in size, extent, or grandeur |
flamboyant /flæmˈbɔɪənt/ |
showy, extravagant, bold |
attractively bold, extravagant, or striking |
jeer /dʒɪr/ |
mock, ridicule, taunt |
to mock, ridicule, or taunt someone or something |
hoot /hut/ |
shout, yell, cheer |
to shout, yell, or cheer loudly and enthusiastically |
feast /fiːst/ |
banquet, meal, dinner |
a large and special meal that is prepared for a celebration |
palm-oil /ˈpɑːm ɔɪl/ |
vegetable oil, cooking oil, red palm oil |
a type of vegetable oil extracted from the fruit of oil palms, used in cooking and food preparation |
marjoram /ˈmɑːrdʒərəm/ |
herb, spice, seasoning |
a culinary herb with aromatic leaves, used to flavor many dishes |
sherbet /ˈʃɜːrbət/ |
sorbet, frozen dessert, fruit ice |
a sweet frozen dessert made with fruit juice, sugar, and water |
lavish /ˈlævɪʃ/ |
extravagant, luxurious, opulent |
characterized by or produced with great luxury or excess |
rubbed /rʌbd/ |
applied, spread, coated |
applied pressure and moved a substance on a surface to spread it |
kohl /koʊl/ |
eyeliner, eye makeup, kajal |
a black or dark powder used as eye makeup, especially in Eastern and African cultures |
omen /ˈoʊmən/ |
sign, indication, portent |
an event regarded as a sign of good or evil for the future |
sugar plum /ˈʃʊɡər plʌm/ |
candy, sweet, confectionery |
a small round sweet or confectionery made of dried fruit and nuts, coated with sugar |
Extra Questions to Practice
Expandable FAQ Section
Why is Thanksgiving celebrated around the world?
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Thanksgiving is celebrated around the world to give thanks for the harvest and to spend time with loved ones.
What is the significance of Thanksgiving in the USA?
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Thanksgiving in the USA commemorates the feast held by the Pilgrims after their first harvest in 1621.
What is the traditional Thanksgiving dinner in the USA?
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The traditional Thanksgiving dinner in the USA includes roast turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and fall vegetables.
How do Koreans celebrate Chuseok?
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Koreans celebrate Chuseok by returning to their ancestral hometowns, offering food and wine to ancestors, and participating in various activities such as tug-of-war competitions.
Why is Thanksgiving relatively new in Brazil?
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Thanksgiving is relatively new in Brazil because it was established in 1949 by the former Brazilian President, Gaspar Dutra, who was inspired by the holiday during his visit to the USA.
What is the main feature of Thanksgiving in Liberia?
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The main feature of Thanksgiving in Liberia is a vibrant and spicy feast with roasted chicken and traditional dishes.
What is the significance of Crop Over in Barbados?
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Crop Over in Barbados celebrates the sugar cane harvest and culminates in the Grand Kadooment, a massive finale with calypso bands and dancers.
What is the meaning of Homowo in Ghana?
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Homowo in Ghana celebrates the end of a long famine and is marked by feasting, singing, dancing, and drumming.
How is Mehregan celebrated in Iran?
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Mehregan in Iran is celebrated with new clothes, community blessings, feasting, and throwing handfuls of marjoram and other seeds.
How does Thanksgiving reflect heritage and culture?
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Thanksgiving reflects heritage and culture by showcasing traditional foods, rituals, and customs specific to each country.
What is the role of parades in Thanksgiving celebrations?
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Parades add excitement and entertainment to Thanksgiving celebrations, featuring floats, balloons, and performances.
How does Chuseok in Korea compare to Thanksgiving in the USA?
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Chuseok in Korea is similar to Thanksgiving in the USA as both celebrate the harvest and emphasize spending time with family.
Why is Thanksgiving celebrated on different dates in different countries?
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Thanksgiving is celebrated on different dates in different countries to align with specific cultural or historical events.
How do people show gratitude during Thanksgiving?
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People show gratitude during Thanksgiving by offering prayers, thanks, and appreciation for the blessings and abundance in their lives.
What are some common Thanksgiving traditions worldwide?
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Common Thanksgiving traditions worldwide include feasting, gathering with family and friends, and expressing gratitude.
Why is Thanksgiving considered a time for reflection and remembrance?
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Thanksgiving is considered a time for reflection and remembrance as it honors ancestors, historical events, and cultural heritage.
How do different countries put their own twist on the traditional Thanksgiving meal?
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Different countries put their own twist on the traditional Thanksgiving meal by incorporating local ingredients, flavors, and cultural dishes.
How does Thanksgiving promote a sense of community and togetherness?
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Thanksgiving promotes a sense of community and togetherness by bringing people together to share a meal, celebrate, and express gratitude.
What are some shared values and themes in Thanksgiving celebrations around the world?
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Shared values and themes in Thanksgiving celebrations around the world include gratitude, abundance, family, and cultural identity.
How does Thanksgiving contribute to the preservation and appreciation of cultural heritage?
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Thanksgiving contributes to the preservation and appreciation of cultural heritage by showcasing and passing down traditions, rituals, and food customs to future generations.
Why do people celebrate Thanksgiving around the world?
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People celebrate Thanksgiving around the world to show gratitude for the harvest, enjoy delicious food, and spend time with loved ones.
What are some common elements of Thanksgiving celebrations across different countries?
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Common elements of Thanksgiving celebrations across different countries include feasting, family gatherings, and expressing thanks.
How does Thanksgiving help to preserve cultural heritage?
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Thanksgiving helps to preserve cultural heritage by showcasing traditional foods, customs, and rituals specific to each country's history and culture.
Why are parades a popular part of Thanksgiving celebrations?
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Parades are a popular part of Thanksgiving celebrations because they bring joy, excitement, and entertainment to the festivities, featuring colorful floats, music, and performances.
In what ways does Thanksgiving promote a sense of community and togetherness?
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Thanksgiving promotes a sense of community and togetherness by bringing people together to share a meal, celebrate, and appreciate the blessings in their lives.
How do different countries put their own unique twist on Thanksgiving traditions?
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Different countries put their own unique twist on Thanksgiving traditions by incorporating local ingredients, flavors, and cultural dishes into their feasts.
What are some traditional foods that are commonly associated with Thanksgiving celebrations?
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Traditional foods commonly associated with Thanksgiving celebrations include roast turkey, potatoes, vegetables, and special desserts.
How do Thanksgiving celebrations reflect the values and customs of each country?
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Thanksgiving celebrations reflect the values and customs of each country by highlighting their unique traditions, historical events, and cultural practices.
How does Thanksgiving promote gratitude and appreciation?
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Thanksgiving promotes gratitude and appreciation by encouraging people to reflect on the abundance in their lives and express thanks for the blessings they have received.
Why is it important to celebrate and learn about Thanksgiving traditions from different cultures?
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It is important to celebrate and learn about Thanksgiving traditions from different cultures because it fosters understanding, respect, and appreciation for diverse customs and promotes cultural exchange.