Giving Thanks Around The Globe

Did you know that practicing gratitude and giving thanks directly correlates with reducing stress and anxiety levels (Littlefield C., Harvard Review 2020)?

Did you know that practicing gratitude and giving thanks directly correlates with reducing stress and anxiety levels (Littlefield C., Harvard Review 2020)? The month of November has been all about thanks and gratitude at The Connect Group, which is why this month’s blog takes a look at some gratitude practices from around the world. As you read through them why not consider tailoring some of them to your daily grind to decrease your stress and anxiety and foster a greater posture of thankfulness throughout your day.

Thanksgiving – USA

When someone says ‘thanksgiving’, most people think of America, turkeys and pumpkins! But in actual fact it is a celebration of the hunt and harvest which bonded the European Immigrants with the Wampanoag Natives. The thanks were for both the food and the relationship developed between these people groups for, in the absence of this bond, the harsh winters would have left the newly established European settlers cold and starving. To this day it is celebrated with a feast of pumpkin, turkey and corn in remembrance of these traditional foods that the Immigrants and Natives would have eaten together.

Fruit Fair – Chanthaburi, Thailand

This annual celebration is both colourful and sweet as it expresses thanks for the plentiful fruits of the season’s harvest. Streets are paved with beautiful fruit arrangements much like Mandala Patterns and Floats parade down the street all lined with the local fruit!

The Blessing of the Sea – Greece

Parties follow the priest in great anticipation to the harbour where a gold cross is blessed by the clergy before being hurled into the sea. The local men quickly hurl into the water too racing to retrieve the gold cross. The winner returns the cross to the priest and receives a blessing of grace. The winner’s act of nobility is said to banish bad spirits from the new year. Thereafter all of the fishermen bring their boats and crew to the clergy for a blessing before casting the first nets of the new season in hopes of fish-filled nets!

Cross being thrown at Blessings of the Sea

Mehregan – Iran

The Festival of Lights calls Iranians together to release lanterns into the dark night skies as a signifier of ‘light trumping the darkness’, plentiful trumping scarcity and thankfulness trumping selfishness! A simple, yet powerful and beautiful reminder of the power of giving thanks.

Festival of the Yams / Homowo – Ghana

Celebrated in either August or September, this celebration involves dancing, feasting and giving thanks for the rainy season in the hopes of plentiful crops in the upcoming year. The people of Ghana come together to celebrate, and the family with the biggest crop is crowned winner. Everyone brings their crops to contribute to the feast, but the yam is considered the prized dish!

Kinro Kanrsha no Hi (Labour Thanksgiving Day) – Japan

The age-old festival celebrates the rights of Japanese workers. Labour organizations organize events and children make gifts and cards for firefighters, policemen etc., all to celebrate and appreciate the hard work of Japanese workers!

There is so much to be learnt from this celebration that honours the courage and heroism of everyday citizens.

Prayers of Thanks – Worldwide

It is a beautiful common expression to give thanks before a meal. Some of our personal favourite prayers of thanks from around the world are:

South America | ‘To those whom have hunger, give them bread, and to those whom have bread, may they hunger for justice’
Japan | A single word is uttered before every meal, namely, ‘itadakimasu’ which translates to, ‘With humility I receive this food, thanking everyone in the line of the food production- even the animal or plant and ecosystem within which is grew!
South Africa | This one is special to us, as the prayer of choice by ‘The Connect Group’ Founders kids, Levi (5) and Aaron (8). ‘Blessings on the table, blessings in our heart! May this food nourish and heal. Bon Apetite, Lekka Eet!

While we have only mentioned a few of the diverse and beautiful ways that people from across the globe give thanks, it is clear that gratitude and thanks are universal concepts celebrated in every corner of the world.