Anyone Else Have a Gratitude Holiday?

Ygrec23 · Nov 24, 2011, 11:10 AM

Most of us very much love the tradition of Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November. Thanksgiving is, in essence, a gratitude holiday, commemorating what the Pilgrims received from the Indians, and what each of us has received.

Question: To your knowledge does any other country in the world have a gratitude holiday? Folk holiday or official holiday, I guess it doesn't matter. Me, I've never heard of one.

Nov 24, 2011, 11:26 AM

Well we have thanksgiving day in Canada, but we celebrate it in October. I'm curious as well.

whenwillitend · Nov 24, 2011, 12:02 PM

We have kind of a gratitude day in Germany, it's called "Erntedankfest", and is supposed to be for being grateful for a good harvest. There's a lot of food on that day too.
I don't know if you can compare it to Thanksgiving, maybe, not sure.

Ygrec23 · Nov 24, 2011, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anika

Well we have thanksgiving day in Canada, but we celebrate it in October. I'm curious as well.

Hey, Anika! When people make speeches or write articles about Canadian thanksgivig day, what do they emphasize? Are there relatively standard major points that they try to make year after year? Take care!

Ygrec23 · Nov 24, 2011, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whenwillitend

We have kind of a gratitude day in Germany, it's called "Erntedankfest", and is supposed to be for being grateful for a good harvest. There's a lot of food on that day too. I don't know if you can compare it to Thanksgiving, maybe, not sure.

Hi, whenwillitend! Thanks for responding. Is "Erntedankfest" the kind of holiday on which politicans and religious leaders make speeches? If so, what do they say? Are there any things that they say over and over again, every year? Take care!

venusss · Nov 24, 2011, 12:19 PM

we czechs are ungrateful bastards.

J/k.

but I am not aware of us having a gratitude holiday. I guess we don't have that much to be grateful for! HA!

Nov 24, 2011, 12:29 PM

Thanksgiving day in Canada first started with out native Americans celebrating abundance and harvest. Then we had European influence When an explorer from England arrived In 1578, wanting to give thanks for his safe arrival, he shared his European festival of thanks and celebration of harvest. So our thanksgiving is more about the harvest and being thankful for abundance than than the arrival of the pilgrims.

Articles would emphasize ways to give thanks, gratitude, family and friends, and thanking god for the bounty Canada has been blessed.

What would articles in the U.S. emphasize for thanksgiving ? I'm sorry I couldn't give a more discript account of that, I don't read many articles.

Ygrec23 · Nov 24, 2011, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anika

Articles would emphasize ways to give thanks, gratitude, family and friends, and thanking god for the bounty Canada has been blessed. What would articles in the U.S. emphasize for thanksgiving ? I'm sorry I couldn't give a more discript account of that, I don't read many articles.

Well, Anika, I think speeches and preachments and articles and editorials down here would pretty much be with the same themes you've noted for Canada: gathered family and friends giving thanks and offering gratitude to God and others for the bounty we enjoy.

I'm glad that you too have such a holiday up in Canada. I think it's nice, and appropriate, to have a special day for gratitude. Hope your day is great! Take good care, Anika!

Ygrec23 · Nov 24, 2011, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VenusHalley

we czechs are ungrateful bastards. J/k. but I am not aware of us having a gratitude holiday. I guess we don't have that much to be grateful for! HA!

Good beer? Having the Russians and the Germans off your backs? Living in a beautiful country? Having enough to eat? Lots of channels on cablevision? A Czech language version of Angry Birds? I don't know. We're far from prosperous, but to me it does seem that a day for gratitude is a good thing! Take very good care, Venus. You know how much all of us here like you and respect you.

Nov 24, 2011, 01:50 PM

I thought it would be similar, we do share the traditional pumpkin pie!! I hope you have a great day!

I wish we had gratitude day everyday! Maybe I just might adopt that. We can always find something to be grateful for.

Happy Thanksgiving !

madisgram · Nov 24, 2011, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Other Asian countries such as China, Malaysia, Korea celebrate the festival on different dates. Each festival has a folklore attached to it. Harmony, peace, feeling gratitude is the underlying theme of the celebration all over.

[quote]Thanksgiving is celebrated in quite a few parts of India, the major festivity is however, observed by Christians in the state of Goa.

Quote:

UN Declaration
Though thanksgiving originated in America, but it has spread its wings to other continents of the world as well. In November 1997, as a communal effort to reunite people all over the world, the millennium year 2000 was proclaimed as the 'International year of Thanksgiving' by the United Nations. This was first time ever that the general assembly voted unanimously in favour of a spiritual idea. The responsibility to take lead was given to Center for world Thanksgiving situated at Thanks-Giving Square. The idea behind the declaration was to spread peace, harmony and brotherhood.
The activities undertaken by Center of World Thanksgiving included surveying the members countries of United nations and study their harvest related festivals. The survey laid emphasis on the importance of thanksgiving as an expression of gratitude in history, in arts, in philosophy and in religion. The declaration also served the purpose of fostering cultural relations among different countries.

Lastly, the declaration intended to promote friendly relations among nations

Quote:

Celebration in Australia
Apple and grape harvest festival is celebrated in the month of March in the granite belt. The festival is celebrated for 3-4 days. Various cultural and fun events are organised everyday to mark the occasion.

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Quote:

Celebration in United Kingdom 'Harvest Festival' as is popularly known, is one of the oldest festivals in United Kingdom. It began in churches in the year 1843, when Robert Hawker invited local parishioners to a special thanksgiving service at a church in Cornwall. This resulted in the custom of decorating churches with home-grown products. In the old times, the success of crops determined the success or failure of the people. The natives of UK, pleased the God of fertility by offering him the first sheaf of corn. This was done to ensure a good harvest in the coming season.

many other countries so will stop...

whenwillitend · Nov 24, 2011, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ygrec23

Hi, whenwillitend! Thanks for responding. Is "Erntedankfest" the kind of holiday on which politicans and religious leaders make speeches? If so, what do they say? Are there any things that they say over and over again, every year? Take care!

No, not really. It's not as huge as Thanksgiving. I do remember it being a big deal in church every year.

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