Our American Thanksgiving celebrates when our forefathers were first colonizing America and celebrated a three-day feast with the Native Americans. Over time, Americans have added their own traditions that they celebrate with their families and friends. At Primary Beginnings, we like to teach our preschoolers about Thanksgiving traditions around the world too.
Here’s a few fun facts about how some other countries celebrate Thanksgiving.
- Korea: Korea celebrates a day of thanks called Chuseok in late September and early October. Families celebrate with food, story-telling, and paying respect to ancestors. Traditionally, the main dish is Songpyein, which is rice kneaded into small cakes, filled with red beans, chestnuts, and other ingredients. The culture celebrates the dead with the feast, dancing, wrestling, and dressing in traditional costumes for three days.
- Liberia: Liberia celebrates a day of Thanksgiving on the first Thursday in November, which is based off the traditional American celebration. The Liberians tend to spice up their birds more than Americans, and eat mashed cassavas instead of mashed potatoes.
- Ghana: Ghana celebrates the harvest of the yams, known as the Homowo Festival. This festival takes place between May and August, which is harvest time for yams. They celebrate with a big feast prepared by the women, dancing, singing, and playing drums.
- Rome: Rome celebrates a harvest festival knows as Cerelia. The day is in honor of the Goddess of Corn, Ceres, and is celebrated every year on October 4th. Roman custom is to present produced fruits, grains, and animals to the Goddess as thanks giving. Parades and music are also part of the celebration.
Incorporating other cultures into your Thanksgiving tradition is a good way to teach your preschoolers about other customs around the world. Want to learn about more about other countries Thanksgiving traditions? Read our Thanksgiving Celebrations Around the World blog post from last year.
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