# How do other countries celebrate Thanksgiving? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 25, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279 "2003-11-25T23:55:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/1 "2003-11-25T23:55:04Z")
Okay, so I was wondering… How do countries apart from the USA celebrate Thanksgiving? How do they commemorate the landing of the Pilgrims on their shores? What if turkeys aren’t readily available? Do they use pelican or penguin instead? Ostrich, maybe? Or flamingoes? And instead of cranberry sauce, do they use bamboo shoots or some native berries instead? Just wondering. [sub]No, I’m not serious. Get a grip.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/2 "2003-11-26T00:09:23Z")
Are you refering to other American continent countries? ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/3 "2003-11-26T00:12:57Z")
down here we tend to sit around in our khaki shorts lifting cans of beer to our lips while the shrimps sizzle on the barbie with the crocs milling about nearby and proclaim as one people _thank all that is holy we aren’t merkins_ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/4 "2003-11-26T00:13:01Z")
No, just other countries. How did the Pottsylvanians choose to commemorate the Pilgrims’ arrival, for example? ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/5 "2003-11-26T00:21:11Z")
Here is a [list of world harvest festivals,](http://www.harvestfestivals.net/harvestfestivals.htm) present and past, which is what Thanksgiving amounts to. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/6 "2003-11-26T01:32:19Z")
Hey, I tell ya what . . . The Kuwaitis’ sprung for a $1.2 Million dollar meal for us when I got deployed in 2001. Cake, dessert, _ **American** _ turkey, cheese, bread . . . Oh man, it was a spread. I was _honored_ to be their guest that day. Yes, I saw some of the invoices. Real _American_ turkeys. Tripler It’s not a “religious” holiday, so they let their thanks be known to us. ---
**Author:** ![Chavardz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@Chavardz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chavardz)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/7 "2003-11-26T08:15:56Z")
I personally prefer making turkey the mexican way since I am, well, in Mexico. The correct procedure is buy 250 grams of turkey, baguette, lettuce, turkey, cheese and assorted toppings. Mix to form a sub. Serve with beer. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/8 "2003-11-26T08:23:25Z")
UK: we don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/9 "2003-11-26T09:17:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crusoe \* > \*\*UK: we don’t. \*\* What are you, some kind of commie? ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/10 "2003-11-26T09:22:53Z")
Why do you ask, comrade? ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/11 "2003-11-26T11:38:49Z")
You got the puritans. We got the convicts. I’m happy with that if you are. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/12 "2003-11-26T11:44:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JThunder \* > \*\*[sub]No, I’m not serious. Get a grip.[/sub] \*\* I really have been asked this in the States a few times. My answer: we have a huge feast to give thanks that we got rid of those miserable pilgrims. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/13 "2003-11-26T11:51:40Z")
Aw, no – don’t give them _another_ holiday idea down here, with all the cards, the prezzies, the turkey and who knows what-all! Noooooo …!!! We don’t celebrate it. The Puritans didn’t get down this far. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/14 "2003-11-26T12:57:48Z")
Isn’t Canadian Thanksgiving the second Monday in October? It harkens back to 16-1700s, depending on who you listen to. > [@](#): > > Much like the United States’ Thanksgiving Day, the Canadian celebration includes parades and festive meals, often including turkey and all the “fixins.“ Yet, again, at the heart of the celebration is the idea of giving thanks for the goodness of the season past. And as **David Simmons** pointed out, there are harvest festivals in just about every other culture that are quite similar in their intent. ---
**Author:** ![Coil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Coil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coil)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/15 "2003-11-26T13:18:07Z")
Sweden: We don’t celebrate it either. There are of course other festivities during the late fall season. One of the is Mårten Gås (Mårten Goose), which is more of a regional thing. It is celebrated in November and with goose instead of turkey on the table. I’m not sure what the reason for the festivity is, it’s not being thankful for anything though. ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/16 "2003-11-26T13:20:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*I really have been asked this in the States a few times. > > My answer: we have a huge feast to give thanks that we got rid of those miserable pilgrims. \*\* Don’t forget the burning of the effigies… ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/17 "2003-11-26T13:29:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coil \* > I’m not sure what the reason for the festivity is, it’s not being thankful for anything though. It’s to commemorate St Martinus of Tours (don’t ask me why it’s still done 500 years after the reformation, it’s most probably to allow people to have a party) and as for the goose eating it’s just becuse they are ready to be slaughtered at that time of the year. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/18 "2003-11-26T14:26:09Z")
I burnt my effigy once. Still have the scars. ---
**Author:** ![NevarMore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7feea3/32.png) [@NevarMore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NevarMore)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/19 "2003-11-26T15:56:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TheLoadedDog \* > \*\*You got the puritans. > > We got the convicts. > > I’m happy with that if you are. 😃 \*\* I’m not. My country was founded by a bunch of stuck up religious fun-killers. Those founders spawned the current batch of stuck-up religious fun-killers that currently run this country. At least ex-cons know that there could be worse things that the people could be doing than looking at titties, drinking beer, and cleaning guns. ---
**Author:** ![1kBR\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/dc4da7/32.png) [@1kBR\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1kBR_Kid)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279/20 "2003-11-26T17:36:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NevarMore \* > \*\*I’m not. My country was founded by a bunch of stuck up religious fun-killers. Those founders spawned the current batch of stuck-up religious fun-killers that currently run this country. > > At least ex-cons know that there could be worse things that the people could be doing than looking at titties, drinking beer, and cleaning guns. \*\* So uhhhhhhhhhh…which country is that? I really wish people would put list their location. That way, when they say things like “My country blah blah blah…” we know where the hell they’re talking about. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-other-countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/215279.md?page=2)