Global Cultures of Gratitude: Thanksgiving Traditions

Thanksgiving is a time for reflection and gratitude, but what it looks like varies widely depending on individual beliefs, cultures, and traditions. For some, it’s about gathering around the dinner table to enjoy a traditional turkey feast, while others use the day for alternative celebrations – or skip the holiday altogether. Across the globe, the concept of giving thanks extends beyond Thanksgiving and is often tied to harvests, spirituality, or community practices.

For Armstrong High School sophomore Akeelah Johnson, Thanksgiving is about family, food, and intentional time to reflect on gratitude.

“What me and my family do together on Thanksgiving is make a bunch of food and sit together and say what we’re thankful for,” she said. “My mom takes work off and asks us what we would like for the day. I help her cook for around two to three days ahead of time. I usually indulge in about seven to eight plates max! Sometimes I invite over one friend.”

For some families, Thanksgiving traditions combine cultural and regional influences. Cooper High School Climate and Culture Specialist David Kek said his family blends Cambodian and American traditions to make the holiday uniquely theirs.

“(Thanksgiving) is an opportunity to spend quality time, socialize, and eat or drink,” he said. “Typically, there is a long table with roughly half of it being Cambodian/Asian food and the other half ‘American’ Thanksgiving food. NFL games on the TV and card playing will eventually take place.”

Others approach Thanksgiving with a different lens. Armstrong High School junior Rehanna Reshad, a Muslim student, shared that her family doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving in a traditional sense but still finds meaning in the day.

“During Thanksgiving, my family and I spend time together. We don't necessarily celebrate, but we do go shopping on that day,” Reshad said. “The reason behind this is that as Muslims, we believe we should be giving thanks throughout the year and not particularly on one day.”

At Cooper High School, students like junior Hamdi Abshir enjoy the holiday as an opportunity to gather with loved ones, even without adhering to traditional Thanksgiving practices.

“We gather with friends and family anywhere that’s open where we can be together,” Abshir said.

Gratitude in Fall Harvest Festivals Worldwide

The practice of giving thanks is not confined to Thanksgiving or even the United States. Across the globe, cultures celebrate gratitude through fall harvest festivals and other traditions tied to the cycles of nature.

Korea’s Chuseok Festival: Held in September or October, Chuseok celebrates the harvest and honors ancestors. Families prepare special foods like songpyeon, crescent-shaped rice cakes made with freshly harvested ingredients, and perform rituals to pay respects to their ancestors.

China’s Mid-Autumn Festival: This festival, celebrated in September or October, centers around gratitude for the harvest. Families gather to share mooncakes, symbolic treats representing unity, while appreciating the full moon.

Hawaii’s Makahiki Season: Starting in late October or November, this traditional Hawaiian festival marks the end of the harvest and the beginning of the new year. Communities offer ho‘okupu, or gifts, to Lono, the god of agriculture, and engage in celebrations that include feasts, games, and rest.

Indigenous Harvest Ceremonies: Many Indigenous peoples in North America hold ceremonies in the fall to give thanks for crops like corn, beans, and squash. These gatherings often include communal meals, songs, and dances, emphasizing a connection to the land.

Mexico’s Día de los Muertos: Celebrated on November 1 and 2, this holiday honors deceased loved ones with altars (ofrendas) decorated with harvest foods like corn, bread, and sugar. Gratitude and remembrance are central to the tradition.

The Broader Context of Gratitude

Gratitude isn’t tied to a single day or tradition. Around the world, it’s expressed in everyday gestures, spiritual practices, and cultural values. In Japan, bowing is a way to show thanks and respect, with the depth of the bow conveying the degree of appreciation. In India, offerings called prasad are shared as an act of gratitude to deities, symbolizing abundance and blessings. In Turkey, gratitude is reflected in daily prayers and hospitality, rooted in the Islamic tradition of Şükür, or thankfulness.