Start a New Thanksgiving Tradition
Thanksgiving Traditions make the Holiday Special
Around the world Thanksgiving is celebrated with a wide variety of various traditions. Yes, it might not be called Thanksgiving in every country, but you will find Pongal in south India, the Moon Festival in the far east, Succoth in Israel and many other celebrations around the world.
The common link is some type of celebrating of the harvest season and a thankfulness that is expressed in this celebration.
What thanksgiving traditions do you have in your family? Are you looking for some new ideas that might just start a new family tradition?
Read on to hear about traditions around the world and discover ideas that you might want to incorporate into your celebration.
photographs by Mary Beth Granger
Give Thanks Notes
show your thankfulness
Sending a note of Thanksgiving to someone who has touched your life is a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving or any day. I love to receive these cards from thoughtful people and I try to send one or two to different people each year. I also send them to family members who cannot be with us on the holiday.
Special Note Cards for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Celebrations Around the World - celebration of the harvest
Many cultures have set aside days to give thanks for the years' harvest. Here are just a few of the celebrations that link thanksgiving and a thankfulness for a bountiful harvest.
You can read more about each of these countries customs at Thanksgiving Round the World
- Chusok- the Korean thanksgiving is celebrated the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar Korean calendar. The major food of the celebration is Songpyeon, a crescent shaped rice cake.
- Thanksgiving-in the US it is celebrated on the 4th Thursday in November. The first thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 when the pilgrims celebrated a successful harvest.
- Thanksgiving- in Canada is mainly on the 2nd Monday in October. The Canadian celebration goes back to Martin Frobisher who held a formal ceremony to give thanks for surving a long journey.
- Succoth-this 7 day celebration is held in late September to early October in Israel. It is also known as the Feast of Booth or the Feast of Tabernacles.
- Pongal- this celebration in south India, also called "Rice Harvest Festival" is to thank those who have contributed to a succesful harvest.
- Yam- this celebration is popular in Ghana and Nigeria. Yams are the first crops to be harvested there.
- Moon Festival- in the far east farmers celebrate the end of the summer harvesting seson.
- Onam- this is an annual harvest festival in southern Inda.
Thanksgiving Traditions- Special Serving Dishes - use a favorite dish
Sometimes family thanksgiving traditions include using special dishes for the holiday. Here are some wonderful choices to help make the holiday festive.
Start a New Thanksgiving Tradition
Send out Thanksgiving Cards to show your thankfulness. What a great way to let people know that you are thankful that they are in your life!
Pumpkins for Thanksgiving
Autumn Colors add to the Thanksgiving Celebration
Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. Thanksgiving always seems to be the culmination of the fall season.
This photo was taken on a small lake in Michigan last fall.
Pumpkins are a fun Thanksgiving Tradition - pumpkins always make me think of thanksgiving
In the United States pumpkins are a tradition at thanksgiving time. This photograph was taken of a pumpkin display at the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis last fall.
Homemade Pies are part of our Thanksgiving Tradition
Pies are always the dessert of choice for our Thanksgiving meals. We always have the traditional Pumpkin Pie and then a fruit pie.
This is an apple pie that my daughter-in-law baked.
May you and your loved ones have a Blessed Thanksgiving!
