Thanksgiving Day is not celebrated everywhere in the world because it is an American traditional holiday that commemorates the arrival of the first colonists on the American continent and has no universal religious origin or significance.
Thanksgiving Day historically corresponds to the celebration of the harvest by the early settlers of North America, particularly in the United States and Canada. However, this means little to other regions of the world. The very origin of the holiday is based on a specific story involving European settlers and Indigenous peoples, which is directly linked to the local North American history. Other cultures have completely different historical traditions: for example, in China, the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates the harvest with mooncakes, but without turkey or pilgrims. Many European or African countries, on the other hand, did not experience colonization based on the same founding myths: they have therefore naturally developed their own distinct national or cultural holidays.
Every culture shares convivial moments around food, but the way they celebrate varies greatly from one place to another. In the United States, for example, Thanksgiving revolves around a stuffed turkey, with cranberry sauce, sweet potato mash, and the classic pumpkin pie. In contrast, in other countries, typical dishes for family celebrations can be completely different: in India, it could be a generous vegetarian meal full of spices, while in Japan, the year-end celebration is often dominated by a warm bowl of soba noodles. These differences illustrate how much our culinary tastes are closely tied to locally available products and traditions passed down through generations, which explains why American-style Thanksgiving struggles to establish itself on tables around the world.
Not all countries have the same official calendar or the same way of marking their year. For example, in the United States, Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November, but in Canada, it’s different; they celebrate it on the second Monday of October. In other places, there are completely different holidays during this time: in Germany, they celebrate Oktoberfest, which has nothing to do with a roasted turkey but everything to do with beer and sausages. In Asia, there's no trace of Thanksgiving, but around the same time, countries like China and Vietnam celebrate harvest-related festivals such as the Mid-Autumn Festival. In short, each country has its own rhythm and its own holidays to mark certain seasons or national events.
The celebration of Thanksgiving has deep roots in American religious and symbolic history, closely linked to the Protestant Christian identity of the early European settlers. As a result, in countries where the predominant religion is different, such as those with Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or other spiritual traditions, this holiday doesn't really resonate. For example, in India, where religious festivals like Diwali or Holi dominate the calendar, Thanksgiving has no place. The same goes for the Middle East, where Islamic holidays like Eid constitute the major celebrations. These religious differences naturally lead to completely different symbolic meanings, far removed from the origins of American Thanksgiving.
Many communities are strongly attached to their cultural identity, and they demonstrate this by refusing to adopt celebrations from elsewhere, such as Thanksgiving. Embracing this type of American celebration would be seen as yielding to a kind of Hollywoodization or Americanization, where local cultural practices would ultimately disappear. Therefore, some use their rejection of Thanksgiving as a gentle yet determined way to defend and promote their own customs, traditions, and cultural heritage. It’s a way of saying, "Okay, that's nice what you're doing over there, but here, we do something else." This kind of resistance pays off, as there are still plenty of diverse events and celebrations, preventing everyone from ending up living exactly the same way, with the same meals and the same holidays everywhere.
In the United States, the association of Thanksgiving with the traditional dish of turkey dates back to the 19th century, notably thanks to Sarah Josepha Hale, who popularized the traditional meal that is now essential to this holiday.
Contrary to popular belief, Thanksgiving is celebrated on different dates in Canada and the United States: October for Canada, November for the United States.
In Liberia, a West African country founded by former American slaves, Thanksgiving is also celebrated, but its origins and traditions differ slightly.
Japan celebrates a version inspired by Thanksgiving called Kinro Kansha no Hi, a day of gratitude for labor, valuing productivity and the contributions of workers to society.
Yes, Thanksgiving is sometimes the subject of controversies related to its historical context, especially concerning Indigenous populations. Some groups denounce an idealized view of history and prefer to commemorate rather than celebrate this day, organizing events such as the "National Day of Mourning" in the United States to remind people of the suffering of Indigenous communities.
The celebration of Thanksgiving in the United States traditionally takes place on the fourth Thursday in November, historically linked to the autumn harvests of the early American settlers. In Canada, the celebration occurs on the second Monday in October, a date chosen due to climatic and historical differences that result in earlier harvest seasons than those in the United States.
Yes, different countries celebrate distinct holidays during this time of year. For example, the Lantern Festival "Loy Krathong" in Thailand or Diwali in India sometimes occur close to each other in time, each having its unique traditions, but occasionally sharing the festive and communal spirit typical of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is heavily based on a North American historical and cultural context related to colonization, which does not have a directly transferable counterpart in other regions. Thus, this holiday has not spread easily internationally, unlike some more globalized celebrations such as Christmas or Halloween.
Besides the United States and Canada, other countries have similar celebrations, such as Germany with the "Erntedankfest," Japan with "Kinrō Kansha no Hi," and Korea with "Chuseok." However, the meanings and practices vary from country to country based on local cultural contexts.
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