Zipporah Jones
Staff Writer
Thanksgiving is largely considered to be an American holiday, originating from the pilgrims.
You may be surprised to learn that America is not the only country that celebrates this time of thanks and giving in the community. When thinking about Thanksgiving in America, the treatment of the pilgrims toward the native Americans cannot be forgotten.
In modern times people have adopted it into a time to give thanks and commune with family members. In other countries, that same tradition is held.
The closest country to the United States that celebrates this holiday is Canada.
Canada first celebrated its first Thanksgiving in 1578. This means that the first Thanksgiving in North America was in Canada.
Canada’s Indigenous people actually have a history of celebrating the fall harvest that predates when the actual settlers came to feast in 1578.
Thanksgiving was actually not officially celebrated in Canada until 1978, according to thecanadianencyclopedia.ca.
The same things that Americans celebrate on the fourth Thursday of November Canadians celebrate on the second Monday of October.
Thanksgiving is also celebrated across the globe in Japan, going by the name of Labor Thanksgiving Day (in English).
Like Thanksgiving in America, it originated from a fall harvest festival, but over the years it changed into a national holiday celebrating people who work in Japan.
A difference between Japan’s day of thanks and America’s is that although Japan’s Labor Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday, many businesses still stay open this day. One could say this is because it is not as big a deal here as it is in the U.S.
The first modern version of Thanksgiving was started in 1948, according to kanpai-japan.com.
Japan celebrates Labor Thanksgiving Day annually on November 23.
In Ghana, a festival called the Homowo Festival is celebrated. This is a harvest festival starting during the month of May.
The rainy season actually starts or sets off this festival.
According to africaimports.com, this holiday began because of the struggles of famine that Ghana’s people experienced when traveling across Africa in the past.
The people of Ghana eventually got through this famine, and, when crops were good, they held a feast to show how happy they were not to be in famine anymore.
The first Homowo Festival ever was believed to be held in 1888 on the 27th or 29th of September according to ghanaweb.com.
One interesting fact about the Homowo Festival is that a 30-day ban on drumming is set by priests when the festival begins.
Thanksgiving cannot be discussed without acknowledging the horrors of genocide that took place on that first day of the harvest celebration in the United States.
Native Americans may not look at Thanksgiving Day with the same fondness as other Americans, so there is a specific holiday set aside for those of Native American origin.
This holiday is not held around the same time as Thanksgiving in the U.S., but it is rather held (appropriately) on what Americans know as Columbus Day. Indigenous Peoples’ Day, an official holiday that recognizes that native people are the first and original people of America, is held annually on October 12th.
This holiday is observed and celebrated in place of or alongside Columbus Day in about fourteen states, according to smithsonianmag.com.
It is important to remember that Native Americans are the people who helped settlers when they first came to America.
Many natives now, do not even celebrate Thanksgiving because it is a reminder of a painful and dark past but all over the world, communions and feasts of thanks are held.
When celebrating in America, it is important to remember all of the natives that lost their lives so many years ago around this time.
Give thanks and come together with your family this year, but also remember why this holiday came to be.
Very good article. I will be dealing with some of these issues as well..