Thanksgiving in Different Cultures
In America, we celebrate thanksgiving by watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, watching football, Black Friday shopping, and eating with family. We eat turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, cornbread, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pies. But other cultures, eat and celebrate differently.
American thanksgiving has become popular in China. It is known as Gan’en Jie, Thanks for grace. They eat steamed dumplings, garden stirfry, sesame turkey or duck, crab rangoons, honey-hoisin sweet potatoes, and ginger-pumpkin meringue pie. They believe the day is meant to connect with others and thank them.
In Mexico, Día de Acción de Gracias is not traditional or as big as it is in America. But they do celebrate with columbine, salads, merengue, or even bachata music. The dinner includes turkey, tamales, pozole, mole, and chiles en nogada, and is served around 9pm.
Ireland doesn’t celebrate thanksgiving nationally, but in recognition of their American guests, hotels and restaurant will offer thanksgiving meals. Erntendankfest is not a public holiday in Germany, but it is popular among churches and schools. Children learn about the history of thanksgiving in kindergarten, and are asked to bring as much fruits and vegetables as they can carry to school that day. Later that day, they donate the food. A few districts in Germany, crowned a harvest queen, who fulfills representative tasks over the next year.
In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
I Thessalonians 5:18