When November rolls around in the United States, most Americans prepare for one of the nation’s most beloved traditions without realizing that people all around the world may be doing the same.  

The story we tell ourselves about Thanksgiving, Pilgrims and Native Americans sharing a peaceful harvest meal in 1621, is so deeply woven into American identity that it’s easy to assume this holiday belongs to us alone. Of course, the historical reality is far more complicated than the grade-school narrative suggests, involving colonization, displacement, and a legacy that many Indigenous peoples observe as a day of mourning rather than celebration. Yet despite these complexities, Thanksgiving remains one of the most widely celebrated holidays in America, bringing families together around tables laden with turkey and tradition.

What many Americans don’t realize, however, is that giving thanks for the harvest is hardly a uniquely American tradition. Countries around the world have their own thanksgiving traditions, some directly influenced by American culture and others with entirely independent origins. And for Americans living abroad, Thanksgiving often becomes a cherished way to maintain connections to home, with expat communities gathering in kitchens from Tokyo to Berlin to roast turkeys and share pumpkin pie.

The American Tradition of Thanksgiving in November

For most Americans, Thanksgiving centers on two things: food and family. The fourth Thursday of November marks a day when offices close, travel peaks, and millions of people gather around dining tables for a meal that has remained remarkably consistent for generations. 

Turkey is the undisputed centerpiece, usually roasted and often the subject of anxious phone calls to cooking hotlines about brining, basting, and safe internal temperatures. Surrounding the bird are the supporting players: cranberry sauce (whether homemade or sliced from a can), mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie.

Here are some of NationsClassroom’s favorite Thanksgiving recipes: 

One of Thanksgiving’s distinctive qualities is its secular nature. Unlike Christmas or Easter, it carries no religious obligations, which means people of all faiths, or no faith, can participate equally. This inclusivity has helped Thanksgiving maintain its status as a unifying national holiday, even as debates continue about how to acknowledge its complicated origins.

Thanksgiving Traditions Around the World

The impulse to celebrate the harvest, of course, predates any American tradition. Across the globe, cultures have long marked the end of growing seasons with festivals of gratitude and feasting. Some of these celebrations have evolved into formal thanksgiving holidays with surprising connections to the American version.

Canada

Canadian Thanksgiving predates its American counterpart by several decades, with the first official celebration occurring in 1879. That said, harvest festivals in the region go back much further, including a 1578 ceremony held by English explorer Martin Frobisher in what is now Nunavut. Canadians celebrate on the second Monday of October, which makes sense given the country’s earlier harvest season and colder climate. The holiday serves as a time to give thanks for the harvest and the blessings of the past year.

The menu shares many similarities with American Thanksgiving, featuring roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy. However, Canadian tables often include distinctly regional touches like butter tarts for dessert and tourtière, a savory meat pie with French-Canadian origins.

Saint Lucia

Thanksgiving in Saint Lucia is a relatively recent addition to the Caribbean island’s calendar, officially established in 1940, at least compared to the US and Canada’s Thanksgiving holidays. Celebrating on the first Monday of October, Saint Lucians gather for church services and family meals that blend local flavors with some American-influenced traditions. 

While turkey might appear on some tables, you’re just as likely to find traditional Caribbean dishes like rice and peas, baked chicken, Saint Lucian macaroni pie, and fresh seafood. The holiday carries both spiritual and practical significance, acknowledging survival through another storm season.

Liberia

Liberia’s Thanksgiving celebration traces directly back to American influence. The country was founded in the 19th century by formerly enslaved Americans and free Black people who emigrated from the United States, and they brought their traditions with them. Liberian Thanksgiving falls on the first Thursday of November and carries a distinct religious character, with many families attending church services to express gratitude.

The meal itself reflects Liberia’s unique cultural position between American heritage and West African roots. Alongside roasted chicken (instead of turkey), families serve traditional dishes like cassava leaf stew, jollof rice, and check rice. The holiday is one of several American-origin traditions that have taken on distinctly Liberian characteristics over nearly two centuries.

Other Harvest Festivals

While the countries above celebrate holidays specifically called Thanksgiving, many other cultures mark the harvest with their own festivals of gratitude and feasting. 

  • China (September or October, varies by lunar calendar), Mid-Autumn Festival: Families gather to admire the full moon and share mooncakes while celebrating the autumn harvest and togetherness.
  • Vietnam (September or October, varies by lunar calendar), Tết Trung Thu: Also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival or Children’s Festival, this celebration features lantern processions and mooncakes to mark the harvest season.
  • South Korea (September or rarely October, varies by lunar calendar), Chuseok: Often called Korean Thanksgiving, this three-day holiday brings families together to honor ancestors and share traditional foods like songpyeon rice cakes.
  • India (mid-January), Pongal (Tamil Nadu), and Makar Sankranti (pan-Indian): Harvest festivals celebrating the sun and the new agricultural season.
  • Germany (typically the first Sunday in October,), Erntedankfest: This traditional harvest thanksgiving festival features decorated churches, processions, and community meals giving thanks for the year’s crops.
  • Japan (November 23), Labor Thanksgiving Day: Originally a harvest festival called Niinamesai, this national holiday now honors workers and productivity while maintaining its roots in agricultural gratitude.
  • Malaysia (late May and early June): Kaamatan (May 30–31) and Gawai Dayak (June 1–2): Indigenous harvest festivals in Sabah and Sarawak celebrate the rice harvest with traditional rituals, dancing, and feasting.

Be Thankful This Holiday Season

Whether you’re passing the gravy at a Thanksgiving table in Kansas, sharing mooncakes under the autumn moon in Shanghai, or gathering with family for Chuseok in Seoul, the desire to pause and express gratitude is universal. 

Together, these celebrations highlight something we all share: a desire to recognize abundance, honor our connections, and take a moment to be grateful.

At NationsClassroom, we’re grateful for this shared human experience every day. The students who travel with us, the teachers who lead them, the hosts who welcome them, and everyone who supports these journeys all help build the kind of cross-cultural understanding these holidays reflect at their best. We believe that experiencing global traditions firsthand helps students connect more authentically with the world they’re exploring.

No matter where this season finds you, or which traditions you observe, we hope you find time to appreciate the abundance in your life and the people who make it meaningful.

NationsClassroom