Thanksgiving is a holiday commonly connected to the United States and Pilgrims, but many other countries have their own forms of Thanksgiving. Here is a brief summary of how some other countries celebrate this great holiday:

• U.S.A.
  • The United States celebrates their Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November. Traditionally, the U.S. celebrates the “blessings of the year” by sharing a big meal with family, watching football games, attending Thanksgiving parades or church services, or even shopping for all of those good deals on Black Friday.
• U.K.
  • In the United Kingdom, there is no certain date on which Thanksgiving is held. They just hold this festival on the Sunday closest to the Harvest Moon. This holiday was originally celebrated by the Saxons when they sacrificed the firsts of their harvests to their gods. Now, Brits celebrate by singing, praying, decorating with baskets of fruit and food, and by collecting donations for local charities.
• Philippines
  • When the Philippines was an American colony, Thanksgiving was publicly celebrated at the same time as the U.S. When this country was occupied by Japan during World War II, the citizens were forced to hold their celebrations in secret. Once they became their own country, their original traditions continued, but they changed their celebration date to September 21. When the Filipino February Revolution took place, this holiday was completely terminated; however, Thanksgiving was revived in 2022. They continue to celebrate on the same day as the U.S. by having many special sales similar to the U.S.’s Black Friday.
• Canada
  • The Canadians celebrate their Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October. They give thanks for the appreciated harvest by holding church services and private celebrations. In Canada, Thanksgiving is recognized, but not as commercialized or as “serious” as it is in the U.S.
• Liberia
  • Liberia celebrates their version of Thanksgiving on the first Thursday of November. This celebration started because of the U.S.’s influence on the country since it was founded as a U.S. colony. The Liberians celebrate their “new period of peace” that they are currently in after two civil wars. Although there is no specific food associated with this festival, there are still feasts that are held. An alternative to feasting is attending a special church service and using the rest of the day as a day of rest.

Many other countries also celebrate this holiday such as Australia, Brazil, Grenada, Netherlands, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Germany, Japan, and lots more. Although there are many different ways to celebrate, the main reason for celebration always relates to the same one word: gratitude.