Thanksgiving Rituals - Essay Example

?Thanksgiving Rituals Inttoduction Throughout the existence of a person, he or she will inevitably experience a human ordeal that will challenge their competency in life. It is through these encounters which one chooses to see as tests that define oneself and disposition. As a person arrives the terminal of this experience, he is left with a moment to rejoice or what people have beautifully dubbed as thanksgiving. One might be inclined to think of it as limited to the holiday that everyone looks forward to as the month of November nears. This event does not occur only in a single day every year. It transpires whenever someone chooses to allow it to. There is an abundance of incidents to feel grateful for and extend appreciation to—from the healing of an illness or the beginning of new life with birth to the occurrence of long awaited paydays or simply waking up the next morning. These are all meaningful instances on the accounts of a person. How are thanksgiving rituals carried out? These do vary from culture, religion, beliefs and other personal influences. There is none other practice of gratitude grander and more elaborate than the Thanksgiving day most commonly observed in the North America or particularly the United States. This event happens every fourth Thursday of the month of November. The typical scenario on this day is a family gathering with an extravagant feast of Turkey and wine before them. It started out as a tradition of the Native Americans who primarily acquire their food from their harvest planted on their own land. As the Natives reap their produce for the season, they hold a ceremony as a symbol of their gratefulness (Schuh 9). In the modern times, things have evolved for the more magnificent difference from before. Every year, they hold a large parade where people crowd to behold large floats and balloons. It is an event both for the young and old as they marvel at the huge and famous cartoon and children’s book characters such as the famous Mickey Mouse as well as Santa Claus. The people behind this thanksgiving parade have been investing a considerable amount of time and effort for the preparation of the renowned event that leads to the doors of Macy’s (Grippo 9). This is the practice of thanksgiving in the United States. Their festivity and grandiose is a signature all over the world. Moving on across a different region in the United States of America, the indigenous tribes of the Iroquois have a different ritual for thanksgiving. Their religion and beliefs dictate a different method and period of thanksgiving. There are six occurrences annually based on their own calendar. The purpose of this event is to signify their gratitude and the continuance of the spirits providing the natural resources (Pandian 199). It mostly involves a gathering filled with expressions of gratitude and welcome. This is for the purpose of the continuance of the prosperity of their land and the crops that grow in it as well as the life that thrives in it (Roeber 186). The Chinese also have a colorful celebration distinct from those of the American people. It is composed of three phases and called inoko for the locals. This is a festival to commemorate the successful harvest and takes place every year. They first present fruits to the spirits they believe in and then perform the reaping of their crops. The last stage is the rites of thanksgiving where every person regardless of social standing is signified (Hendry 21). The act of harvest itself is their way of celebrating their appreciation. This bears close similarities to the Japanese method of giving thanks or expressing of gratitude. The sole difference being that their traditional ceremonies are repeated for four times annually (Hendry 21). The modern way of celebrating Thanksgiving in China is called Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival after its timing. It has a considerable popularity all over the world because of their uniquely lavish way of celebrating their prosperous years bearing crops. Instead of the Americans way of feasting with Turkey, the star of their banquet is the moon cakes (Morrill 12). They serve it on their tables or give close relatives and acquaintances these cakes to symbolize their gratefulness for their ties. The Moon Festival mostly originates from the ancient folklore of the Chinese. This festival bears as great an influence in countries over Asia as Thanksgiving day is over at the North America. The other Asian countries have their distinguished and individual traditions for thanksgiving they have inherited from their ancestors. For the Koreans, their ritual is called Ch’onsin gut or Chusok which occurs in August. Their intention is similar to those of the Chinese people—to give appreciation for their rice and fruits (Lee 25). They serve rice cakes on their family gathering and wear their traditional dresses. The celebration also involves dancing, singing and playing games. In Vietnam, they have their own version of the Autumn Moon Festival. They call it Tet Trung Thu which they hold every September or October (Jasmine 42). This is a favorite for the young people of the country because this centers on them. The families plan the festival for their children such as games, lanterns and traditional arts. There are also gathering for telling age old stories inherent to the local people. The Jewish people also have their traditions for expressing gratefulness endemic to them. It is known as Sukkot which is a major holiday for the Jews based on their religious beliefs. It happens every year in the month of September or October or whenever autumn occurs. It has a long period of celebration to give thanks to God and the acknowledgement of the people who feel his care and compassion. It is also a commemoration for the rich past of their country and people (Miller 5). Their harvest serves as the proof of this love and they build Sukkot which are small shelters for field workers in the previous years. The children enjoy this as an outdoor camping activity. Over the country of Rome, the rituals for thanksgiving are heavily and significantly dictated or influenced by their religious rituals as well. They have been known after all to be the center of the Catholicism. Their way of expressing appreciation can be observed by their constant prayers of acknowledging their gratitude to God (Barchiesi 58). Conclusion The richness of the divergence of the anthropological elements can best be observed by the people’s tradition and ceremonies. There are numerous ways that people from all over the world select to symbolize their gratefulness for the events in their lives. The diversity of the symbolism, significance and manner at which they conduct their rituals are quite noticeable as their cultures and beliefs widely vary. However, no matter the distinctness and deviations of the people’s practices and traditions, every act leads to a sole and eclectic purpose—the intention of giving thanks. References Barchiesi, Alessandro, et al. Rituals In Ink: A Conference on Religion and Literary Production in Ancient Rome. Germany: Printservice Decker And Bokor, 2004. Grippo, Robert M. and Hoskins, Christopher. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. San Francisco, California: Arcadia Publishing, 2004. Hendry, Joy. Interpreting Japanese Society: Anthropological Approaches. New York: Routledge, 1986. Jasmine, Julia and Fullam, Sue. Multicultural Holidays. Teacher Created Resources, Inc. Lee, Jung Young. Korean Shamanistic Rituals. Vol. 12. England: Mouton Publishers, 1981. Miller, Reagan. Sukkot. New York: Crabtree Publishing Company, 2010.  Morrill, Ann. Holidays and Celebrations: Thanksgiving And Other Harvest Festivals. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2009. Pandian, Jacob. Supernaturalism in Human Life: A Discourse on Myth, Rituals And Religion. Pitampura, New Delhi: Vedam ebooks Pvt. Ltd., Roeber, Anthony Gregg, and Kade, Max. Ethnographies and Exchanges. Native Americans, Moravians and Catholics in Early North America. Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2008. Schuh, Mari C. Thanksgiving Day. Mankato, Minnesota: Capstone Press, 2003. Read More