The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

Winged Post
Newsletter

DongZhi, Tet Trun Thu, Pongal, Sukkot: What is your version of Thanksgiving?

To+celebrate+their+version+of+Thanksgiving%2C+Pongal%2C+Indians+enjoy+decorating+cows+and+watching+them+dance.+They+also+feast+with+friends+and+family+and+draw+intricate+patterns+known+as+Muggulu.
To celebrate their version of Thanksgiving, Pongal, Indians enjoy decorating cows and watching them dance. They also feast with friends and family and draw intricate patterns known as Muggulu.

It is that time of year when holiday bells are ringing, the extended Black Friday sales are booming, and families have just met over the break to celebrate Thanksgiving. However, not everyone observes this holiday the same way.

Although both United States and Canada celebrate Thanksgiving in November, the reasons for giving thanks are different. For many Americans, Thanksgiving is an opportunity to appreciate friends and family, whereas the Canadians give thanks for a successful yearly harvest. The two traditions are not completely different, however; they both have elaborate feasts including turkey, potatoes, and a cornucopia of other delicacies.

In the Jewish culture, many celebrate a religious holiday known as Sukkot sometime in September or October. For seven days, all of the members of the household sleep and eat inside the sukkot, a walled structure covered with tree branches. Their feasting is very similar to that of Thanksgiving: a kosher turkey, pumpkin flan, asparagus, and corn bread.

For the Vietnamese community, there is no Thanksgiving, but the closest celebration is the moon festival known as Tet Trung Thu. The holiday falls on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. This festival serves as a family reunion after the harvest season. While the children play with colorful moon lanterns shaped as dragons, moons, and suns, the adults enjoy moon cakes along with hot tea.

In the Chinese culture, Thanksgiving is celebrated in December and is known as DongZhi. Signaling the beginning of the winter season, this tradition is commemorated with a small festival where parents cook winter food. However, it is not as big a holiday as the Moon Festival or Chinese New Year.

The Indian version of Thanksgiving is known as Pongal and is celebrated in January. Different religions of India observe it differently due to the diversity of cultures. It is known as Bhogali Bihu in the northeastern state of Assam, Lohri in Punjab, Bhogi in Andra Pradesh, and Makar Sankranti in the rest of the country. Pongal honors the harvest of the crops and is an opportunity to give thanks to the gods. Usually, people feast with friends and family and decorate their houses with muggulu, artistic intricate patterns drawn on a wet surface using chalk powder.

In other cultures, such as those of Latin America, Thanksgiving is not normally celebrated. However, Hispanics have a tradition with similar roots through which they thank God and their families and have a celebratory feast with plenty of food choices.

Different cultures  have unique ways of celebrating Thanksgiving, but there is one common theme: enjoying spending time with friends and family while also expressing gratitude for all the good events that happen in life.

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About the Contributor
Vineet Kosaraju, STEM Editor
Vineet Kosaraju (12) is the STEM Editor for both Harker Aquila and Winged Post. He is a senior and has been part of the journalism program for the past four years. His favorite part of journalism is the supporting community and the memorable experiences from bed nights. Vineet is also one of the senior representatives for Honor Council and enjoys watching television and chatting with his friends.