According to History.com, Thanksgiving was originally a harvest celebration between the pilgrims and Native Americans. Now, it’s a feast shared with family, complete with turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce, and is regarded as a classic American holiday. However, in reality, celebrations like Thanksgiving are celebrated worldwide, and at different points in the year.

The Canadian form of Thanksgiving can be traced back to the 1578 voyage of English Martin Frobisher in search of the Northwest Passage. He set out on his third voyage to the Frobisher Bay area of Baffin Island in Northern Canada with the intention of starting a new settlement.  His fleet of 15 ships were outfitted with men, materials and provisions.

However, the loss of one of his ships prevented him from doing so. The expedition was plagued by ice and freak storms. When they gathered again at their anchorage in Frobisher Bay, a priest delivered a sermon telling them to be thankful for “their strange and miraculous deliverance” in the dangerous places. They celebrated Communion and the first sign of Christ in that area.

Scott Davis, his wife, and his children are all Canadian. They live in Colorado, and celebrate both Canadian Thanksgiving and American Thanksgiving.

“We usually simply have a large meal, including turkey and pumpkin pie. While we don’t travel much for it as Americans, many families make extra effort to get together for Thanksgiving,” Davis said.

Many Canadians living in the U.S. celebrate both Thanksgivings, and many Americans living in Canada do the same. While in many ways it’s identical to American Thanksgiving, there are a few differences.

“There is less emphasis on the watching of football in Canada, and less of a concept of a day of shopping following in Canada than in the U.S.,” said Davis.

Religious cultures also celebrate holidays where thankfulness is a major component.

In the Jewish culture, a holiday similar to Thanksgiving is Passover. Passover remembers them hardships the Jews faced in Ancient Egypt, and the struggle is was to leave. Passover is usually celebrated with a meal with your family, along with reading the Haggadah and following the rules set in place for the meal. Freshman Yoav Rottman celebrates both Thanksgiving and Passover.

“[They both celebrate] a new age in history, with a big feast and traditions,” Rottman said.

Rottman celebrates both holidays with a feast with his family, and said that most of his Jewish friends celebrate both holidays.

One of the main differences between Passover and Thanksgiving is that Passover is celebrated in the spring, to symbolize rebirth of the Jews, while Thanksgiving is celebrated in the fall to show thanks for a good harvest.

However, both holidays remember hardships from the past, and give thanks.

Freshman Sannidhi Shashikiran thinks that the holiday Diwali in Hindu culture is most like Thanksgiving.

The origin of Diwali has legends embedded in Hindu mythology as well as various ancient religious scriptures. Diwali is celebrated for five days in India, and each day has a different celebration.

Diwali celebrates the great deeds of the gods, of heroic deeds and epic life sagas. It also celebrates the relationship between all brother and sister.

The celebrations of Diwali include lighting candles for five nights and praying.

Shashikiran said that both holidays have to do with being thankful, and celebrates both holidays by having dinner with family and friends.

“[Diwali] is more religiously tied [than Thanksgiving],” Shashikiran said about the differences.

Thanksgiving shares a few similarities with holidays around the world. Being thankful makes an appearance in almost every holiday, both close to home and across the world. These holidays are only some of the many holidays similar to Thanksgiving celebrated worldwide.