Did you know that Germans too celebrate Thanksgiving like Americans? 

If you’re a fan of American TV shows, you are more than familiar with their Thanksgiving traditions of cooking and feasting on roast turkey. In fact, they also call it the Turkey Day. While it’s true that Thanksgiving has gained its global stature, all thanks to the Americans, this celebration dedicated to showering loved ones as well as the Almighty with gratitude (and commemorated with a feast), it is also common in Canada and Germany. For those of you who are first hearing of a German Thanksgiving, it has a unique name, Erntedankfest. But when and why did Germans start observing Thanksgiving? And, is it any different than what Americans celebrate? Come, let us find out together.  

Origin of Erntedankfest 
You may find it hard to believe but Erntedankfest is said to be existing through thousands of years. It originated in rural Germany way before the North Americans even knew about the Thanksgiving custom. It is believed that Germans introduced this as a festival to celebrate their harvest season by putting sheaves of wheat as well as fruits and vegetables on display on the church altar. This was then followed by morning, afternoon and evening prayer services. Later on, people engaged in merry-making, song and dance as well as a feast. It was their way of giving thanks to the harvest and to each other, and relax after months of toil.  

A date to remember  
While, the date of origin of German Thanksgiving still remains a mystery, if someone asks you when did Erntedankfest originate, it is safe to say October, 1972. This is because, during this time, the St. Martin’s Catholic Church in Germany declared that Erntedankfest will henceforth be celebrated on the first Sunday of every October. Like everything else, this too was done by the Germans following a simple logic. As per their tradition, all harvest must be completed by Michaelmas (last day of September). Keeping this in mind, they decided to reserve the very next weekend for the harvest and thanksgiving celebrations.  

American vs. German Thanksgiving 
Well, for starters, Erntedankfest literally translates to “harvest festival of thanks.” So, while Americans celebrate it as a big traditional family holiday with unlimited food and drinks, Germans focus more on its religious side and commemorate it with a customary church service. Most importantly, unlike in the USA, Germany doesn’t regard Erntedankfest as an official national holiday. However, this is not all.  

While the world knows that Americans observe Thanksgiving every year on the fourth Thursday of November, Germans celebrate it a month earlier, on the first Sunday of October. Another major difference between Erntedankfest and American Thanksgiving is that, in the USA, it calls for the traditional start of Christmas shopping season. In contrast, Erntedankfest has as such nothing to do with Christmas shopping. In fact, the holiday season in Germany starts more than a month later on November 11. This day is locally known as ‘Martinstag’ and marks the start of 40 days of fasting before Christmas.