In America, we know Thanksgiving to be all about turkeys, pumpkins, and coming together with family. Everyone has their family traditions, including sophomore Hannah Provencher who said, “Every year my family and I go to the gobblers run 5k and walk together.” In other countries, days of thanks are celebrated but for different reasons and at different times of the year. Other places celebrate this day of thanks around the world including Malaysia, Korea, China, and Germany.

 In Malaysia, they hold the Kadazan Harvest Festival in May which is an annual celebration in which they celebrate the main harvest. This festival is held for many reasons, one being to give thanks to the spirit of the rice whom they call “Bambaazon” for the abundant amount of rice harvest in the previous year. Another reason is for everyone to come together to strengthen the understanding and unity of the Kadazan people and to show their special gifts and talents.

 In Korea, Chuseok is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month on the lunar calendar. On this holiday, Koreans return to their hometowns and celebrate. During this time families gather and give thanks to their ancestors for the harvest. The women of the family prepare an ancestral memorial ceremony called charye, in which they fill a table with freshly harvested fruit and rice. Many Koreans celebrate this ceremony by making special foods and coming together with their family and community.

 In China, they hold the Harvest Moon Festival also referred to as the Mid-Autumn Festival. Similar to the Korean Chuseok, this celebration falls on September eighth. This festival originates from early Chinese customs of moon-sacrificial ceremonies and moon worship which have always been an important part of the Chinese culture. During this three day celebration, families celebrate by gathering, eating mooncakes, and by lighting paper lanterns.

 In Germany, Erntedankfest is celebrated on the first Sunday of October and is mostly a religious holiday in which people give thanks to God. Both Catholics and Protestants celebrate, by attending church services and thanking God for the gifts of Earth. There have also known to been parades, music, dancing, fireworks and a county fair atmosphere. They have alters which are normally decorated with sheaves of wheat and fruits of the harvest. The leftover fruits, grains, and vegetables in woven baskets are brought to the church, blessed, then distributed to the poor.

 In all of these celebrations, the communities and families come together and give thanks towards what they believe in. Maybe even one year, you and your family could celebrate one of these holidays and expand your horizons.