Japanese Thanksgiving Day - what they add on November 23rd every year

Japanese Labor Thanksgiving Day is not for the harvest, nor, of course, the American Founding Father thanking the Lord God for safe arrival overseas. it sounds to me more like the thanks given in the UK and Singapore and worldwide to the NHS staff and others, celebrated with rianbows and appluse for their overtime and efforts and risk taking dealing with Covid-19. 

Here is what Wikipedia says:

 Labor Thanksgiving Day (勤労感謝の日, Kinrō Kansha no Hi) is a national holiday in Japan celebrated on November 23 of each year.^[1] The law establishing the holiday cites it as an occasion to commemorate labor and production and give one another thanks.

Events are held throughout Japan, one such being the Nagano Labor Festival. The event encourages thinking about the environment, peace and human rights.^{[citation needed]}

Early-grade elementary students often create drawings for the holiday and give them as gifts to local kōbans (neighborhood police stations).^{[citation needed]}

Contents

• 1History
• 2Celebration
• 3See also
• 4References
• 5External links

History[edit]

Labor Thanksgiving Day is the modern name for an ancient harvest festival known as Niiname-sai (新嘗祭, also read as Shinjō-sai), celebrating the harvest of the Five Cereals (rice, barley/wheat, foxtail millet, barnyard millet, proso millet, and beans).^{[clarification needed]} The classical chronicle the Nihon Shoki mentions a harvest ritual having taken place during the reign of the legendary Emperor Jimmu (660–585 BC), as well as more formalized harvest celebrations during the reign of Emperor Seinei (480–484 AD). Modern scholars can date the basic forms of niiname-sai to the time of Emperor Tenmu (667–686 AD).^[2] Traditionally, it celebrated the year's hard work; during the Niiname-sai ceremony, the Emperor would dedicate the year's harvest to kami (spirits), and taste the rice for the first time.^{[citation needed]}

The modern holiday was established after World War II in 1948 as a day to mark some of the changes of the postwar Constitution of Japan, including fundamental human rights and the expansion of workers rights.^[3] Currently, Niiname-sai is still held privately by the Imperial House of Japan on the same day as Labor Thanksgiving Day, which has become a public national holiday.^[4]

May 1 is also celebrated as Labor Day by many trade unions in Japan,^[5] which hold large rallies and marches in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.^{[citation needed]}

Celebration[edit]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Labor Thanksgiving Day" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

On this day, school children prepare cards or gifts to distribute to police officers, firefighters, hospital staffs, personnel of the Japan Self-Defense Force and the Japan Coast Guard and other people in the labor sector to show appreciation for their contributions to the country. Companies review their accomplishments and congratulate their workers for their dedication. Families get together and have dinner at home on this holiday.

My experience of my travel and dinners and homestays is that the Japanese are great at making origami and dolls and are fond of giving gifts, and reciprocating by giving something back to the donor.

I am writing this in late October. You have time to prepare to receive gifts in Japan or to send thanks and wishes and virtual gifts or real gifts to Japanese friends in person or online.

Useful Websites

American Thanksgiving

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving

Japanese Thanksgiving

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Thanksgiving_Day

About the Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Please share links to your favourite posts. My books are on Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk and Lulu.com

Thanksgiving American Theme Meetings: turkey, kugel and potluck

American flag, the stars and stripes.

Problem
All over the world people will be celebrating or discussing Thanksgiving in November. When is it and what is it? Who celebrates and who doesn't?

Answers
Who, Where, Why?
In London, UK, we regard it as an American event. As a child I was led to believe it had something to do with Americans giving thanks for landing safely in the USA on the journey by ship from the UK, and surviving a year.

Why Not?
In the UK we don't celebrate Thanksgiving. We have harvest festival in churches and schools.

When?
American Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November.

Where?
According to Wikipedia other similar events are held in other parts of America and the Caribbean, in Europe in German and in Asia in Japan.

Caps and Plurals
The festival is given a capital letter. Notice that is is a plural. On whats app I was sent a notice about thank giving, no caps and singular.

Thanksgiving and American Clothes
Now is a good time to look out your American items, hats, tee-shirts, towels, whatever.

Cowgirl Hats
I am not sure that a cowgirl or cowboy hat is suitable, as this is from Texas and the West. However, since Thanksgiving is celebrated all over America, why not.

In Singapore you can buy a cowgirl hat for under ten dollars in a shop in Clementi shopping mall by Clementi MRT.

Cowboy or cowgirl hat in SKP, Clementi.

Hat from SKP shop in Clementi shopping Mall by Clementi MRT station and bus exchange.

Any party shop should have something American.

I suggest you check out the history of Thanksgiving in case you are asked to speak about it, or give thanks to those who prepared the food.

Thanksgiving Food
Traditionally turkey - thanksgiving day is also known as Turkey Day. (In the UK we have turkey on Xmas Day. American who had turkey the previous month on Thanksgiving Day therefore tend to go for something different on Xmas Day.)

To go with the turkey, what? Mashed potato. (At Xmas Day in the UK we have roast potatoes.)

Turkey and vegetable?
Maybe Brussels sprouts. (Turkey and Brussels sprouts is what we would have in London, England, for Xmas Day.) Yes, capital for Brussels, and plural. The sprouts were originally sold from near Brussels, capital of Belgium.

Dessert
Pumpkin pie is the seasonal and traditional dessert. You can also have pumpkin soup.

Kugel, Lockshen Pudding and Noodles
I was intrigued to read about what Ashkenazi Jews in America eat for dessert on Thanksgiving Day. Kugel. Kugel is tradition at the weekend (Sabbath being Friday night and Saturday until dusk - which is earlier in winter.)

What is it? I think kugel, to judge by the pictures and recipes, is what Londoners call lokshen pudding. Noodle pudding. Made with rich, yellow egg noodles.

The London version has sultanas and lemon.  You can get it to take away or eat in from B & K salt beef far and restaurant in Edgware and Hatch End - see my previous posts.) Asians might understand what it is if you call it noodle pudding.

Alternative To Turkey?
Duck.

Drinks?
Cider. Sparkling wine. Beaujolais Nouveau -which has been launched in London, England, with a cross-Channel dash to be the first shop to sell it and the first restaurant to serve it, the previous week.

Potluck
How about a potluck celebration? Americans like potluck dinners where everybody brings something to eat.

Music and Preparation
A potluck supper moves some of the responsibility of the catering onto the guests. That leaves the hosts time to do the decor and music.

Decor
American flags. Photos of America. America the beautiful, from sea to shining sea: landmarks include:
Grand Canyon


You might also like to include Canada:
Niagara Falls

Add some famous American Presidents, personalities and film stars:
Look in Wikipedia for free of copyright pictures of
Abraham Lincoln
George Washington
Marilyn Monroe
Elvis Presley
Dolly Parton

Check the figures on banknotes.

American Patriotic Music
Print off the words:
America the Beautiful.

American Personal Favourites
Country Music:
Take me home, country roads .. by John Denver.
Elvis

After you have done this once for the USA and Thanksgiving, you will have a system to follow for your club or conference in another country or on another national day.
(Coming up this year and next: December: Christmas. Spring: Chinese New Year.)

Check if a member of your group has a birthday (in any group of thirty people you usually find one or two with birthdays on the day, or week, or month). You can order cakes, and ice cream cakes in the USA, UK and Singapore.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

National holidays - what's open and shut and why? A Singapore story.

Problem
I once took a holiday to a foreign city for a long weekend, hoping to visit a museum and a restaurant on my last day. Unfortunately, they both closed on Monday.

Singapore
In Singapore, on Tuesday 29th May 2018, I tried contacting people in Toastmasters. Nobody was answering. Why?

From the emails and chats with others I know that in the UK Monday was a bank holiday. America had Thanksgiving. Singapore has Vesak Day on Tuesday.

But surely there must be places which are open? What about other religions, such as church groups?

Answer
Finally, somebody texted me the answer. In Singapore, most Toastmasters clubs meet in Community Clubs. Two of the busiest are Braddell Heights Community Club near Serangoon MRT (train station) which has four clubs, Braddell Heights 1, Braddell Heights II, Braddell Heights Advanced, and Mandarin.

Cairnhill Community Club, almost adjacent to Newton MRT, has about eight clubs, a Mandarin speaking club, a bilingual Malay and English club, a French club, and several English speaking clubs including Cairnhill, Star Millenium Advanced, Filcom for the Filipinos keen to improve their English, and the Vietnamese club and IPA, the Indonesian Professional Association. I have been to the French Club, Francophone, and English speaking clubs.

You would think that like restaurants, Community Clubs would choose to open on National Holidays. Apparently not. Offices and public buildings are closed.

Community centres, although they have outdoor sports areas and open-sided indoor sports areas, are run by offices. Presumably, they also need cleaners to check the toilets every hour. So with those holding the keys to the room also on holiday with their families, the meeting rooms are locked and the clubs cannot meet.

Thanks to the person who enlightened me.

The moral is, don't wait until the holiday and try ringing around because you might get answerphones , recorded information, instructions to ring back after the holidays and phones not answered. When you see a holiday coming up, check in advance what will be open.

visitsingapore.com
singaporeair.com (Singapore Airlines)
https://www.ishopchangi.com
http://www.changiairport.com/en/shop-and-dine.html
http://www.goodwoodparkhotel.com/durian-fiesta-2018-,promotions_viewItem_1341-en.html

visittheusa.com

visitbritain.com

Author, Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Thanksgiving and Design

In America it's Thanksgiving, third Thursday in November. 

(Canada holds Thanksgiving on another date, the second Monday of October. Tied to the end of the harvest season, in the north, that is several weeks before America's holiday. Oct 12 2026. Oct 11th 2027, October 9th 2028, according to Farmers' Almanac.) 

Thanksgiving for Americans, is thanks for arriving safely across the Ocean, surviving a year in a new country. The year after they arrived, they celebrated the anniversary of their safe arrival, and survival.

In London, thanks to everybody who had contributed to designs and museums through the ages. Everybody you look at or use was designed by somebody. The bus. the bus stop. The train. The art deco stations. The museums.

Each generation has new ideas. New ideas on chairs, a cushion on the floor, a block of wood, a solid tub, a back, with legs. Upholstered. Plastic and wipe-clean.

A table of wood or plastic, on legs, with room for your legs underneath. A mirror on top for a dressing table. A desk with a pull out place for your coffee. A ledge or pull-out for your laptop. Straight, or curved top.

The 2016 glass-topped tables create a feeling of space in small rooms. But, as a landlady, I won't buy them, because a tenant might break them.

In the UK The Design Museum has re-opened in a grand new venue in London.

What I found interesting is that it does not attempt to choose good design, but rather to show a history of how design has changed, whether good or bad, a true museum.

I happen to think that art deco of the Thirties was graceful, elegant, wonderful. The Fifties, yuk, utilitarian, looks awful. I hate those spindly diagonal legs on furniture. Wood changes to wood chip. Plastic table tops and trays. Chairs no longer have upright backs but slope backwards so you get an L shape neck, hunchbacks and dowager's hump. Cheap backless bench seating encouraging slumping.

Thirties cups were an improvement. V shape. Easier to clean inside. Easier to look inside and check they are clean.

The Thirties? Beautiful buildings. White with green tiled roofs. However, flat roof houses and block of flats, introduced in the Nineteen Thirties are a design disaster in a rainy country. Anybody who studies history or has lived in a flat roof dwelling knows they are prone to leaking roofs. I've had leaks in blocks of flats where I lived in Singapore and London. Also a relative (Uncle Jack, a deceased relative my marriage) said he was nearly bankrupted by the cost of repairing his house which he eventually sold after years of problems.

I just came back from Umbria. The oldest churches were susceptible to earthquake damage. So were the oldest houses. Medieval buildings in the UK have been destroyed by fire this year. New buildings in America and worldwide are designed to be earthquake proof. Our thanks to all the designers and architects who have made buildings safer.

Useful Website

http://designmuseum.org

Angela Lansbury, author, travel writer, speaker.

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Flying on Thanksgiving and Owls You Can Make For Thanksgiving

When are the flights empty? Apparently if you want a choice of seats, pick Christmas Day, and in American Thanksgiving Day.

If you are in the USA (fourth Thursday in November) you will be surrounded by people celebrating Thanksgiving, and eating turkey.

Some people like to give guests a take home present. I love these owl biscuits you can make at home wherever you are on Thanksgiving and give to your hosts or guests. Also a great gift to take to a pot luck party, A book group, Writers' Circle, or a Toastmasters meeting.

Two great ideas you can copy, even if you don't have time or reason to make owl biscuits this week:
1 Use a glass tumbler as what the Americans call a cookie cutter.
2 Use balls of dough for decoration, add chocolate buttons for buttons or eyes, use almonds for beaks or claws of birds or animals.

https://blog.etsy.com/en/butter-cookie-owls/

The story of Thanksgiving, according to this account, was not just a dinner thanking God for a safe arrival, but both the God or fate and the natives (then called Red Indians) who had taught the Pilgrim Fathers (and mothers) how to draw and cook local foods. The dinner included turkey, shared with the natives, cranberry, so named because of the stalks bending like cranes.

http://www.crewsnest.vispa.com/thanksgivingusa.htm

If you are not American, you might wish to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Canadians, who celebrate on the second Monday in November.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(Canada)

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Thanksgiving in the USA; Christmas in Europe: Passover

Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving in the USA, not observed in the UK, except at events run by Americans, is giving thanks for landing safely in the USA after the perilous sea crossing from the UK and Europe. (Remembering the Titanic, you can see why. You would also feel the same on a ferry from the west coast of England to Ireland or in the old days on a ship across the choppy Bay of Biscay.)

Thanksgiving is the major holiday when offices shut so that families can get together for a festive meal.

The meal may start with a prayer, followed by festive food, turkey.

Christmas
In the UK, the equivalent festival is Christmas. Christmas day is a national holiday. Most attractions and shops close. Increasingly restaurants serve Christmas Day lunch at very high prices, usually served by staff who do not have children and are glad of the money. Families at home get together with special foods is Christmas day lunch. Hospitals and emergency services are provided by others of other religions or none, by singles, or on a rota system so that everybody gets free time every other year.

UK Christmas dinner is turkey, followed by Xmas pudding (US plum pudding). You will find this offered for lunch and dinner as an option in most restaurants in London, England and throughout the UK in December.

Scotland
In Scotland New Year's eve is celebrated rather than Christmas.

Christmas is celebrated on different days in Scandinavian and Latin countries in Europe, eg Jan 6th.

Seder or Passover
The Jewish equivalent is the Seder night or passover, a thanksgiving for surviving the great plagues inflicted on Pharaoh and the long, dangerous journey through the sea and parting of the waves. You see this thanksgiving meal depicted in medieval paintings in national galleries of Europe, showing Jesus and the Last Supper. In paintings you see wine in silver goblets (before wine glasses became both affordable and classy and became the way to drink celebratory drinks).This festival takes place around the time of Easter.

BBC report on Black, Mexican and other thanksgiving.
Seemed a bit thin to me, but I liked the picture of trying not to tread on others' shoes around the doorway. I have never understood why the Chinese, Singaporeans and Asians who are so disciplined and fussy about rules and religion do not put their shoes neatly in pairs, parallel to the wall or door, or facing outwards for exit.

Useful Websites
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-34922821

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(Canada)

http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/what-is-thanksgiving-when-and-why-americans-celebrate-turkey-day-a3118576.html

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Pumpkin Plain, Pumpkin Pie, Can I save it or will it die?

Pumpkin is a winter squash, orange on the outside, although cooked it can turn into a greeny yellow colour. Pumpkin pie, a deep dish pie, on Thanksgiving Day is an American tradition. I had a wonderful pumpkin pie at the American club in Singapore during Thanksgiving Day week.

Apparently the same applies in Canada, where the festival is called L'Action to Grace. The pumpkin is also popular in Europe. Italians turn the flesh into a savoury filling for ravioli. You can also roast the seeds for snacks and eat the flowers which are elegant decorations for the table or plate, rather like orchids.

Now orange pumpkins of all sizes are on sale in UK supermarkets for Halloween. Then pumpkins will come down in price. It will be a good time to buy. But how can should you store them and how long?

We were so pleased with home made pumpkin soup, which was a cheap meal and more, we plan on buy pumpkins to store. How long will a pumpkin last?

If you just leave your pumpkin on the kitchen work surface:
All winter, until Xmas, if you are lucky until Easter. If it goes bad, goes soft and starts smelling evil and leaking, too late, you'll have to throw it out.

If you can keep it in a cool dark place, it'll last a few months.

Cut open, you can freeze it and again it lasts a few months.

Cooked and made into pumpkin pie and the whole thing or leftovers frozen, again a few months.

There's a good chart on this site:
http://www.eatbydate.com/fruits/fresh/how-long-does-pumpkin-last/