From Erntedank to Thanksgiving: Gratitude Across Cultures

Written By dKay in Maine

With Halloween just around the corner, decorations are popping up in yards, and planning for trunk-or-treat events is ramping up. For those unfamiliar with the latter, trunk-or-treat is a stationary version of trick-or-treating, typically located in a parking lot, such as that of a community center. Instead of going from house to house, kids will go from one car’s trunk to the next, with the trunks decorated in a Halloween theme. All of this reminded me yet again about how America’s fall traditions differ from those in Germany, at least those that were a tradition when I still lived there, since Halloween celebrations have become increasingly popular since I left.

In the first part of a two-part series, I will reflect on the German Erntedank (“Harvest Thanks”) and the American Thanksgiving, while reflecting on Reformation Day, All Saints’ Day, and Halloween in the second installment.

Erntedank: A Walk Down Memory Lane

Erntedankfest, literally “harvest thanks festival,” is a traditional German celebration of gratitude for the harvest. In Protestant regions, the festival typically takes place on September 29 or a nearby Sunday, whereas in Catholic areas, it occurs on the first Sunday in October. While not as universally celebrated as Thanksgiving is in the U.S., Erntedank has deep roots in local church and village traditions; however, the traditions surrounding Erntedank vary depending on one’s location in Germany.

Growing up in a small Protestant town in Northern Germany, I experienced Erntedank as first and foremost a church-centered occasion. The church’s altar and interior were decorated with Erntegaben (“harvest gifts”), such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and flowers.

Example of an altar decorated with Erntegaben.
Photo by Tomasz Anusiewicz on Unsplash

The Erntedank church service included Scripture readings that underscored the message of gratitude and sharing, such as the ‘Parable of the Rich Fool’ (Luke 12:16–20), carrying the message that abundance is not for hoarding but for sharing. The traditional hymns aligned with the spirit—one I remember is “Wir pflügen und wir streuen” (“We Plough the Fields and Scatter”). A little fun fact about that hymn is that the text was already written in 1782 by Matthias Claudius, but the melody most commonly used today was added in 1800. It celebrates God’s providence through the fruits of the earth.

What stood out to me most, though, was how Erntedank emphasized community and generosity. The Erntegaben were donated, and the parishioners could make additional monetary donations to charity organizations. This charitable element remains an important distinction from the more family- and consumption-focused Thanksgiving in the U.S.

Unlike American Thanksgiving, Erntedank rarely involves a large family feast. Instead, it is primarily about religious observance and community gratitude.

Thanksgiving: From History to Holiday

In comparison to the tradition I grew up with in Germany, Thanksgiving, as celebrated in the United States, is more of a national holiday than a church one. Its earliest roots predate the Pilgrims’ 1621 harvest feast. Indigenous peoples across North America held ceremonies of thanks long before European colonists arrived—for example, the Green Corn Dance of the Cherokee marked the hope for a good harvest. European settlers, too, declared days of thanksgiving well before Plymouth: a service in Newfoundland in 1578, observances in Jamestown as early as 1607, and a Thanksgiving held by Berkley Hundred settlers marking the day of their arrival in Virginia in 1619.

In 17th-century New England, Puritan communities frequently proclaimed special days of thanksgiving as religious observances to recognize acts of God’s mercy—such as favorable harvests, recovery from illness, or military deliverance. These days were not initially on a fixed schedule; over time, some colonies adopted an annual late-autumn pattern combining worship services and communal meals. Scholars link this practice to the later structure of Thanksgiving observance.

During the American Revolution, the practice took on a new dimension when colonial legislatures declared thanksgiving days to rally communities around military victories against the British, turning the tradition into a tool of civic and national identity. In 1789, following a resolution to declare a thanksgiving observance to honor the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, provided by Elias Boudinot, George Washington issued the first national Thanksgiving proclamation and designated November 26 as a national day of giving thanks. Later presidents, including John Adams and James Madison, declared similar days, though they were occasional rather than annual.

In the 19th century, Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book, campaigned tirelessly for a permanent, national Thanksgiving Day. While earlier presidents had issued occasional proclamations, most observances were still set by individual states and varied from year to year. Hale envisioned a unifying holiday, marked annually across the country on the same date. Through decades of editorials, stories, and personal appeals to governors and presidents, she helped lay the groundwork for President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation, which finally established Thanksgiving as a recurring national holiday on the last Thursday in November.

The well-known story of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag sharing a meal in 1621 was not originally tied to the national Thanksgiving holiday. Early observances centered on worship and communal meals rather than that single colonial gathering. It was only in the late 19th century that New Englanders began to highlight the 1621 harvest feast and label it the “First Thanksgiving,” drawing parallels between their own traditions and the Pilgrim story.

That date, however, wasn’t always fixed. In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving a week earlier to extend the holiday shopping season during the Great Depression. The decision sparked such an uproar that critics mockingly called it “Franksgiving.” After two years of controversy, Congress stepped in and, in 1941, passed a law establishing the fourth Thursday of November as the permanent, official date.

Example of a Thanksgiving Dinner
Photo by Ana Maltez on Unsplash

Today, Thanksgiving is observed as a federal holiday—businesses, schools, and government offices close, and many Americans enjoy a long four-day weekend. This stands in stark contrast to Erntedank in Germany, which is not a public or bank holiday. Most people in Germany do not have the day off; celebrations are tied to Sunday church services or local community festivals, rather than a nationwide day of rest.

Thanksgiving in the U.S. carries a strong emphasis on food—turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie—and on large family gatherings. While some churches may hold special services, the holiday is largely secular in practice. Over the decades, it has also become tied to uniquely American traditions: the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, a slate of football games, and, increasingly, the kickoff of the holiday shopping season with Black Friday sales beginning the very next day.

Erntedank: From Pagan Roots to Present Day

Just like in the U.S., Erntedank evolved from older traditions. Long before Christianity, rural communities in Central Europe marked the end of harvest with rituals, offerings, and festivals to honor fertility gods and ensure a good harvest in the year ahead. These pre-Christian harvest celebrations provided the cultural soil in which Erntedank later took root.

With the spread of Christianity, these seasonal customs were reinterpreted through a Christian lens.

By the Middle Ages, Catholic parishes held services of thanksgiving after the harvest, blessing fruits, vegetables, and grain brought to the altar. Those services were associated with particular saints or feast days and reflected different types of harvests, such as fruits and herbs or wheat and grain.

Decorative symbols made from grain—such as wreaths and eventually the Erntekrone (“harvest crown”)—became part of many local observances, blending folk practices with liturgy. Although the Erntekrone is more clearly documented in the 19th century, its roots lie in earlier rural customs of using the last sheaf of grain as a fertility or blessing symbol.

With the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, Erntedank celebrations began to reflect a more explicitly Christian posture. In Protestant regions, worship began to center more clearly on Scripture, preaching, and hymn singing, shaped by the Reformation principle of “Soli Deo Gloria”—glory to God alone. Under this influence, Erntedank became more clearly a communal act of Christian worship.

As the centuries passed, local customs continued to shape how Erntedank was celebrated. In many villages, a shared meal or a community festival, often with music, dancing, or even a fairground-style Dorffest followed the church service. Cities, on the other hand, tended to emphasize the liturgical side of the observance, with decorated altars and offerings of food that were later given to those in need.

During the time Germany was separated, those in former East Germany (the GDR) were discouraged from observing Erntedank, as the socialist state promoted atheism and sought to minimize church influence. While some parishes continued to hold small services, large community celebrations were rare until after reunification in 1990.

Since the 2000s, Erntedank has taken on new shapes. In many rural regions, especially in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and wine-growing areas, it has been reimagined as both a church and a cultural festival—sometimes marketed to visitors with parades, harvest markets, and wine tastings. In urban areas, the holiday has become less visible, often limited to small church services or school and Kindergarten projects, overshadowed by Halloween and even American-style Thanksgiving dinners. What has grown stronger everywhere, however, is the emphasis on charity: Erntedank today is just as much about supporting food banks and international aid as it is about blessing the harvest.

Erntedank vs. Thanksgiving: Traditions Compared

Although Erntedank in Germany and Thanksgiving in the United States both center on gratitude, the way each tradition is expressed could hardly be more different. Erntedank remains closely tied to church services, rural customs, and seasonal harvest rituals, while Thanksgiving has developed into a civic holiday marked by family gatherings, feasts, and nationally shared traditions.

The table below highlights some of the most notable contrasts between the two observances. It shows how each holiday reflects the values and history of the culture that shaped it—whether rooted in local parish life and religious liturgy, or expanded into a nationwide celebration of family and identity.

Aspect

Erntedank (Germany)

Thanksgiving (U.S.)
Date Late Sept–early Oct (varies regionally) 4th Thursday in November (nationwide)
Focus Religious service, gratitude for the harvest Family meal, national holiday, shared gratitude
Traditions Church services, harvest crowns, produce offerings Turkey dinner, parades, football, family reunions
Religious Roots Strong Protestant & Catholic liturgical ties Protestant origins, largely secular today
Community Aspect Local and church-based, especially in rural villages National holiday, widely shared across the U.S.
Public Holiday Status Not a public or bank holiday; most people work as usual Federal holiday; schools, businesses, and government offices close
Charity Emphasis Strong focus on donating food and supporting charity organizations Some community meals and food drives, but less central to the holiday

Gratitude Across Borders

Whether it’s the church bells ringing for Erntedank or the aroma of roasted turkey (or any of the side dishes for that matter) on Thanksgiving Day, both traditions remind us that gratitude is at the heart of autumn. Each reflects a different cultural lens, but both highlight the same universal theme: the importance of giving thanks for what sustains us.

Have you ever participated in Erntedank, Thanksgiving, or both? I’d love to hear how you mark the season—whether in church, around a family table, or through traditions that are all your own.

dKay in Maine
Next

O’Zapft Is—Oktoberfest in Maine: A German’s Take on Tradition, Beer, and Banter