Germany
In Germany, Thanksgiving is a common holiday that is known as Erntedankfest, or the “Harvest Thanksgiving Festival”. It is a rural harvest time observance. The holiday takes place on the first Sunday of October. The German Catholic Church recommended this holiday in 1972. The holiday often consists of church services, parades, music, and a county fair atmosphere. In larger cities, the events are sponsored by the Protestant and Catholic churches. The typical Erntedankfest begins with a sermon in church as well as some choral singing. Then, the Thanksgiving procession which includes the presenting of the “harvest crown” or Erntekrone. The crown is presented to the harvest queen who goes by the name of Erntekrone. Throughout the day, there is more singing, dancing, and delicious, traditional food. To conclude the holiday, there is a evening service with a torch and lantern ceremony and even some fireworks in some areas.
China
In the country of China, most people do not celebrate Thanksgiving. The few who celebrate it have adopted it from American culture. They have altered it to fit their own culture in some ways as well. It is called Gan'en Jie, or “thanks for grace,” to the few who celebrate it. According to Mr. Liu, Silver Creek’s Chinese teacher, many Chinese people do not celebrate it. They celebrate a similar holiday known as the Spring Festival where family member are reunited.
To conclude, many countries around that world come together to celebrate one thing: the celebration of giving thanks. Giving thanks is important because when an individual says thank you to other people around them that have impacted their life, it is good to let those important people know that their influence and what they have done is greatly appreciated.