Hello everybody! I must admit that I did not know what thanksgiving was, although I have heard of it a few times. Thus, I looked it up on wikipediato find that it is simply a holiday in various countries. There is a similar holiday in the UK called 'harvest festival' and I will copy and paste the information on this for those of you who may be interested:
United Kingdom
The Harvest Festival of Thanksgiving does not have an official date in the United Kingdom; however, it is traditionally held on or near the Sunday of the harvest moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox. Harvest Thanksgiving in Britain also has pre-Christian roots when the Saxons would offer the first sheaf of barley, oats, or wheat to fertility gods. When the harvest was finally collected, communities would come together for a harvest supper.[49] When Christianity arrived in Britain many traditions remained, and today the Harvest Festival is marked by churches and schools in late September/early October (same as Canada) with singing, praying and decorating with baskets of food and fruit to celebrate a successful harvest and to give thanks.[50] Collections of food are usually held which are then given to local charities which help the homeless and those in need.
I found the last line particularly pertinent, as there are now record numbers of people in the UK having to go to food-banks and also living on the streets. What a sad reflection of our society at the beginning of the 21st century!
Best wishes and happy holidays.
Bill