Does Europe Celebrate Thanksgiving? A Turkey Day Guide 2023
Thanksgiving. One of the highlights for many Americans and Canadians during the autumn season. Turkey, pumpkin pie, a day off, large parades, and most importantly, spending time together with the ones you love. With Thanksgiving being such a big happening on the North American continent, a question frequently asked is: Does Europe celebrate Thanksgiving too? Here you find everything you need to know about Europe’s traditions during harvesting season. Find out if there is any overlap with the Canadian and American traditions!
Does Europe Celebrate Thanksgiving?
So, does Europe celebrate Thanksgivig the same way Americans and Canadians do? The short answer is.. not really. The events that historically led to the Thanksgiving tradition in the US and Canada have not become engrained in European history. However, Europe does traditionally have many harvesting celebrations and traditions that took place for many centuries even before the American Thanksgiving existed. Most of these traditions take place between August and November. More on that later on!
What Is Thanksgiving Called in Europe?
Depending on where in Europe you go and the language they speak there are all kinds of names to elude to the local ‘harvesting celebrations’. Here you find a couple of examples and local traditions, but of course, there are many more!
Erntedank
The Germans and Austrians still celebrate the end of the harvest season locally. Their harvest celebration is called Erntedank which literally translates to Harvest Thanks and mostly takes place during the first weekend of November. The celebrations often include a church service, parades, music thanks songs to say thanks as well as presenting a ‘harvest crown’ to the harvest queen.
Bénichon
There is a tradition in the French-speaking part of Switzerland where they celebrate Bénichon. Bénichon means ‘blessing’ and the Swiss celebrate it at the end of the harvest season. The dates vary but it is usually when the grain is in the barn and when the herds have come back home. A real celebration of people coming together again. Originally the celebration lasted for three days. It has now been brought back to one day. During this day an extensive meal takes place that traditionally lasts for six hours! The courses are all traditional, local cuisine and include cabbage-soup, stews and exquisite desserts!
Dozynki
In Poland the Dozynki celebration still takes place in many different places especially in more local areas where the villages still have a large agricultural sector. People dress up in traditional costume during this celebration at the end of the harvest season. A lot of ceremonial loaved of bread are baked and presented. There are processions, music, dancing and food and it brings together friends and family.
Høsttakkefest
Norway has a Thanksgiving tradition called Høsttakkefest, for which the most accurate translation is Harvest Thanksgiving Feast. The tradition is over 1,000 years old, but apparently, Norwegians stopped celebrating it in 1770. Whilst it was reinstated in the early 20th century, since 1999 the celebration was declared optional by the church.
Dankdag voor gewas en arbeid
In my personal experience as a Dutch person, Thanksgiving or harvest celebrations are not really a thing here in The Netherlands. Some churches still celebrate the Dankdag voor gewas en arbeid. When we elude to the American Thanksgiving though, that is just what we call it; Thanksgiving . With the many international tourists we welcome in The Netherlands, there are even options to celebrate a refined, traditional Thanksgiving meal, to feel at home away from home.
There is an actual list of harvest celebrations across the world and what they are called available on Wikipedia. Below you find a great collection of names across most European countries for anyone really interested!
What Is the History of Thanksgiving in Europe?
Whilst the history across Europe varies depending on where you are, the one thing they all have in common is the celebration of the start or the end of the harvest season.
One of the reasons the dates of the celebrations vary is the climate based upon which harvesting season take place across the continent. Moreover, it depends on what crops are harvested. In the northern countries, the majority of celebrations took place at the end of the grain harvesting season. When diving into the history of the celebrations it turns out to be a real mix of pagan and christian traditions. All of them have in common they take place to say thanks and bring people together. Some of the pagan traditions included making animal sacrifices which is not something that is happening nowadays!
Interestingly, the the majority of southern European countries would celebrate the end of the grape harvesting season as all of them are large wine producers.
In Italy for example the Festa Dell’Uva takes place every year. What better way to say thanks than stomping the grapes in barrels with your feet? You can try some of the best local wines, accompanied with great food of course!
What Countries Do Not Celebrate Thanksgiving?
Historically almost every country in Europe had their own agricultural industry and farmlands. Therefore the majority of countries will have one or multiple harvest celebrations in place, however local some of the traditions may be.
Of course, there are a few exceptions and this has mainly to do with the size of some of the smaller countries in Europe. They will not have an large agricultural sector or history in farming and therefore do not have the legacy of celebrating the start and the end of harvest season. Think of the likes of Monaco, San Marino, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein.
FAQs
So based on the above information, here you find some practical FAQ’s if you are planning to spend your next Thanksgiving in Europe.
Does Europe celebrate Thanksgiving in October?
As highlighted above the dates for celebrating Thanksgiving of the local equivalent largely depend on when harvesting seasons take place.
The majority of the grape harvest celebrations take place at the end of summer, or early in the autumn season, mainly in August and September.
Most of the traditional harvesting celebrations take place during the first months of autumn, mainly in September and October.
Did the Vikings celebrate Thanksgiving?
The Vikings are famous for many things, their ships, braids, and epic battles. Moreover, their midsummer night celebrations will come to mind. But, did they also celebrate Thanksgiving? The Vikings had their own Heathen Calendar called the Norse Wheel, on which they listed their annual celebrations.
One of the celebrations on their calendar is called Álfablót which took place around October and November. Álfablót celebrates the end of the harvest season and the start of winter. Unlike the other Viking celebrations, this was the only festivity that was celebrated within the walls of people’s own homes. Because of the intimate setting, we don’t know much about their traditions. We do know during the celebration, sacrifices were made. They were dedicated to Álfar which translates to elves as well as to Freya, goddess of love, fertility, and war. Interestingly this harvest celebration was largely organised and led by the Viking women of the house.
Does the UK celebrate Thanksgiving?
Because the UK consists of various countries there are different harvesting traditions depending on where you go.
The most famous celebration is called ‘Lammas’ and takes place on the first of August. In old English the name means ‘loaf mass’. During this day the first loaves of bread were baked with flour from the new harvest. The tradition is still most actively celebrated in Scotland and Ireland, during which you can find many local markets and fairs.
Whilst the celebrations still take place in some areas there is no official bank holiday or day off. Long story short this is the tradition that comes closest to the American Thanksgiving tradition in the United Kingdom. However, like many other countries around the world, the UK is increasingly adopting the American Black Friday tradition. During Black Friday you will find all kinds of special offers, sales, and discounts similar to the US and it takes place on the same day.
Does Europe celebrate Thanksgiving in November?
As per the above information dates for celebrations of Thanksgiving and Harvest days vary per region. It largely depends on the start and end of harvest take place. Many Americans who are traveling across Europe or live here do continue to celebrate their Thanksgiving tradition in November. Many of them invite their local friends to join them for their Thanksgiving dinner.
Conclusion: Does Europe Celebrate Thanksgiving?
Long story short. The conclusion we can draw is that Europe does not celebrate Thanksgiving the way Americans and Canadians do. However, there is a longstanding tradition of celebrations at the start or the end of the harvest season. Dates, traditions, and what exactly is celebrated vary per country. Unlike Christmas and many other celebrations, the harvest celebration usually is less of a big deal in Europe. However, if you want the local Europe experience, check the local activities during harvesting season and you might find yourself an unforgettable day!
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