Thanksgiving around the World for November 27th!

The August Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most celebrated Chinese holidays. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Chinese families celebrate the end of the harvest season with a big feast. Unlike the American Thanksgiving dinner, the Chinese have mooncakes instead of grandma' apple pie. Friends and relatives also send mooncakes to each other as a way of giving thanks.

Vietnamese families plan their activities around their children on this special day. In a Vietnamese folklore, parents were working so hard to prepare for the harvest that they left the children playing by themselves. To make up for lost time, parents would use the Mid-Autumn festival as an opportunity to show their love and appreciation for their children.

Thanksgiving Day is held on the 4th Thursday of November. American families get together to watch football and eat a big feast with turkey and grandma's apple pie. Beyond food and football, Thanksgiving is also about friendship and partnership. Pilgrims and Native Americans, who were once enemies, reaped a successful harvest by working together. At the first Thanksgiving, they ate, sang, and danced together for three days.

Succoth traditions and customs have both historical and religious significance. This festival dates back to the period during which Hebrews wandered in the wilderness on route to Canaan (now Israel). During their pilgrimage, they lived in temporary booths. This open living space is called a succah. People also gathered in sukkot (pleural for succah) to worship and share meals. Thus, Succoth is also called the Feast of Tabernacle. During harvest time, farmers also lived in sukkot in open fields. During Succoth, farmers take this time to thank God for the crops.

Pongal is a popular harvest festival in South India. Named after a sweet rice dish, Pongal starts on January 14 of each year. The celebration lasts for three days. On the first day, Pongal is offered to Bhogi or Indran (the rain gods) for providing rain for the harvest. On the second day, pongal is offered to the sun (Surya). On the third day, the family's cattle (mattu) is cleaned and dressed up with flowers, bells, and color powder. This is the day to honor the cattle's hard work for plowing the fields.

The Yam Festival is usually held in the beginning of August at the end of the rainy season. A popular holiday in Ghana and Nigeria, the Yam Festival is named after the most common food in many African countries. Yams are the first crops to be harvested. People offer yams to gods and ancestors first before distributing them to the villagers. This is their way of giving thanks to the spirits above them.

The Yam Festival is usually held in the beginning of August at the end of the rainy season. A popular holiday in Ghana and Nigeria, the Yam Festival is named after the most common food in many African countries. Yams are the first crops to be harvested. People offer yams to gods and ancestors first before distributing them to the villagers. This is their way of giving thanks to the spirits above them.