Perhaps on this specific day, Americans around the world are the only people pausing to return thanks for their many blessings. But many other cultures have their own version of Thanksgiving and even if it is not directly related to our pilgrim feast, it’s interesting to find out that pausing to reflect and be grateful is a somewhat universal experience.
In China, the mid-autumn harvest festival is called the Moon Festival. While many modern day people associate this celebration with the harvest, its origins were rooted in the observation of the lunar cycle and on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar phase the Chinese people climb mountains and rooftops at dusk in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the first harvest moon. They also celebrate by making moon cakes, a dense pastry filled with sesame seeds and lotus seeds with the salty yolk of a duck egg baked into the center of the cake like a glowing moon. For those of you who are adventuresome, send me a message and I’ll shoot you over the recipe. I would love to hear how your family enjoyed that treat!
Our neighbors across the pond also pause for gratitude as they reflect upon the bounty of the harvest during this fall season. The roots of their celebration also goes back to pagan times when they would create little corn husk dolls to honor the first fruits of the fall harvest and ensure luck for the months ahead. I found this bit of folklore fascinating as I remember making a corn husk doll as a child. Someone came to a church event I think and taught us all how to moisten the husk and shape it and then tie it at strategic places to create the head and body and a cute little apron. That doll has long since deteriorated, but the memory was triggered as I discovered this bit of Saxon history that I never knew. These British ancestors also used the occasion to gather produce and bless the needy in their community, something we used to call “Harvest Home.” Many folks still practice this kind of generosity not only at Thanksgiving but throughout the year in an effort to care for and bless those nearby who have fallen on hard times.
On the small island of Barbados, their fall harvest festival is quite unusual. Their primary crop they grow there is sugar cane, so their celebrations all revolve in some way around the abundance of this staple item and its related products. A king and queen of the festival are crowned for producing the greatest volume of sugar canes and participants eat barbequed chicken and fish cakes. The day is closed by a festive parade not unlike our Mummer’s Parade where marchers dress in flamboyant costumes and play lively music.
I hope each of you has already been enjoying a pleasant day reflecting with friends and family and counting your blessings. You are in good company for people all over the world are pausing to appreciate the abundance they possess. Don’t forget to bless someone else as you realize how blessed you truly are!
