Thanksgiving: Non-U.S. Countries

The Thanksgiving holiday is most often associated with the United States and Canada, but other countries also celebrate Thanksgiving or a similar holiday.

Australia may celebrate Thanksgiving in some places, but it is not a public holiday.

Canada celebrates Thanksgiving in October. Thanksgiving is not a statutory holiday in all provinces. Like the U.S. Thanksgiving, there are different understandings of when the first Canadian Thanksgiving was held and the reason for the holiday has changed over the centuries.

Grenada celebrates Thanksgiving. Unlike the Canadian and U.S. origins of Thanksgiving, there is no religious history to the Thanksgiving in Granada. Instead, the holiday commemorates a military event in 1983.

Germany may celebrate Thanksgiving, but it is not a national holiday. Not all Germans celebrate Thanksgiving. In Germany, Thanksgiving is usually related to the harvest and is observed in September or October.

Japan has a public holiday called Labor Thanksgiving Day. Japan does have a history of a day to give thanks for a good harvest, but in modern times, November 23 is typically reserved for giving thanks to laborers and municipal workers. It is closer in purpose and observance to the U.S. Labor Day than the U.S. Thanksgiving. 
 
Liberia celebrates Thanksgiving on the first Thursday in November. It is a more religious holiday than in the U.S. Food and family gatherings are also important parts of the observance. 

The Netherlands may celebrate a U.S.-like Thanksgiving, but it is not an official public holiday. Even if you grew up being taught the typical U.S. Thanksgiving story of Pilgrims in Massachusetts, you may not have heard about the history connecting the Pilgrims and The Netherlands.

Saint Lucia celebrates Thanksgiving on the first Monday in October. It appears to be a low-key holiday that is observed by families similarly to how families in the U.S. observe Memorial or Labor Day weekend. 

There are likely other countries that have autumn (or spring) harvest festivals. Even so, it seems that Thanksgiving as a national holiday dedicated to gathering with friends and family to eat too much as a sign of gratitude for all that is needed for life is primarily a practice in the U.S. and Canada.