With Thanksgiving just around the corner, there are numerous things to be thankful for; the food prepared on the table, having friends and family, being alive, and more. Some may even be thankful that Thanksgiving as a holiday exists to remind others around the globe to be thankful all the time, even when it’s not Thanksgiving.
That’s what Thanksgiving is all about, at least in the United States. After all, there are numerous traditions and holidays in other parts of the world that are similar to Thanksgiving, just like how there are holidays similar to Halloween and Christmas.
Malaysia – The Kadazan Festival
Malaysians always believed that “without rice, you have no life.” The reason they say this is because they celebrate a festival known as the “Kadazan Festival,” which is about the Malaysians worshipping rice as an extension of the Creator, Bambaazon, as well as existing as the source of thriving life and presence on Earth.
They celebrate Bambaazon for his facilitation of life on Earth. The story says that their God saved many people from great starvation by sacrificing his daughter; her body parts, which were considered the rice paddy, were buried at different points across the land.
Currently, Malaysians believe the grain still holds the spirit of creation and life. The Kadazan Festival is a nice day to celebrate and give thanks to Bambaazon for making people’s lives wonderful.
Korea – Chuseok Harvest Festival
The people of Korea celebrate the Chuseok Harvest Festival by going to the hometowns of their ancestors and holding memorials for their deceased relatives at their grave sites with dishes made from harvested rice. They would also bring Songp’yon (rice cakes), song-i (mushrooms), and toran-t’ang (taro soup). Families gather to give thanks to their relatives for the great harvest.
While Chuseok is a holiday about honoring relatives, it is also a time for spreading joy and happiness to those you love; Koreans give gifts to friends, family, and business acquaintances to give thanks and show appreciation.
Ghana – Festival of the Yams (AKA, Homowo)
The Festival of the Yams is an African festival where everyone hopes that crops will be abundant in the upcoming year so no one will perish of starvation.
In August or September, families are gathered, delighted and hopeful, and a little competitive to be the group with the biggest crop. Whoever wins this competition gets a free dish of yams.
During this festival, villages rejoice by wearing animal masks, dancing, singing, acknowledging that the rainy season is over, and hoping to have a long-lasting fruitful harvest the next year.
Germany – Erntedankfest
Erntedankfest, celebrated on the first Sunday of October, is a religious holiday where churches in Germany handle the show. Fairly similar to what the United States celebrates, Erntedankfest involves giving thanks for the grain and harvest provided in any given year.
The church services throughout the day include blessing baskets filled with fruits, vegetables, and other goods, and giving them away to the needy.
After the church services, lantern parades, which are primarily for children, are held in the evenings.
Which one of these traditions is your favorite?
Sources Cited
Chuseok: Korean Thanksgiving Day. (n.d.). Asia Society. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://asiasociety.org/korea/chuseok-korean-thanksgiving-day#:~:text=Chuseok%20is%20also%20known%20as,ancestors%20for%20the%20plentiful%20harvest.
Hanes, K. (2016, November 6). 7 Thanksgiving traditions around the world | GoAbroad.com. GoAbroad.com. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://www.goabroad.com/articles/gobble-up-these-7-thanksgiving-traditions-around-the-world