Who, what, when and why people celebrate Thanksgiving?
Written by Ellie Brown on 27th November 2025
As a Briton, celebrating Thanksgiving is an alien holiday however many other countries in the world celebrate it. Many don’t know what Thanksgiving is, why it happens and how people celebrate it.
What is Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is a holiday that celebrates the harvest of the year. Many different countries have thanksgiving as a national holiday however some countries have different names for it such as the United Kingdom call it Harvest Festival. Over the years, the holiday has evolved to include celebrating family, friends, gratitude and the start of the Christmas holiday season.
Who celebrates Thanksgiving?
Many countries celebrate the holiday however America is the most famous country to mark the holiday. However, Canada, Liberia and Japan all celebrate too as well as other countries, unofficially, like Germany. It does vary around the world and it is not a widely celebrated holiday nationally however it is clearly important to the countries that do.
How do people celebrate Thanksgiving?
Countries around the world celebrate in their own way. Americans famously have turkeys in their Thanksgiving dinner and the President annually pardons a live turkey each year and the turkey lives out the rest of its life on a farm. This is accompanied by Sunday roast-styled vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and brussels sprouts. In other countries such as the United Kingdom, they attend church services and donate to the poor with cans of food and other essentials.
When is Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving in America is on the 4th Thursday in November every year. However, the date varies from country to country each year. For example, Germany has Thanksgiving on the first Sunday of October while Canada celebrates on the 2nd Monday of October so the dates do vary from country to country but most celebrate in the last few months of the year.
Why do countries celebrate Thanksgiving?
Different countries have different names for the holiday due to not sharing the culture, traditions and history around the holiday. It also depends on agricultural differences from country to country.
