SIPA works to foster a community that is racially, culturally and intellectually diverse. Every year, SIPA is representing 75 or more countries, as our students bridge divide of language, culture and national origin. Nearly half of our 2014 class are international students. They hail from 87 different countries, calling Brazil, China, India, Pakistan and Sweden home. With SIPA’s world-renowned, globally-focused education, these students (and future classes) will influence dynamic change around the world. That’s something we at SIPA are truly thankful for—and there’s no better time to share thanks than now. While Thanksgiving is predominantly celebrated in Canada and the United States, there are plenty of things to be thankful for all around the world. Many countries celebrate their own harvest festivals, rituals and customs with a similar message of giving thanks. In honor of our diverse student body, faculty and staff, we thought we’d share a snapshot of what those celebrations look like across the globe. Here’s what those celebrations look like, near and far:
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- [Photo by Nick Kenrick] CANADA: In Canada, they celebrate Jour de l’Action de Grâce (Thanksgiving Day) on the second Monday in October. Similar to the American Thanksgiving, they also reserve this time to celebrate the past year and give thanks.
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- [Photo by Republic of Korea] KOREA: Chuseok, a three-day holiday in Korea, is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. Koreans return to their hometowns and perform rituals in the morning to remember their ancestors. They’ll also visit and clean up the area around the tombs of their ancestors, and present their loved ones with food and drink.
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- [Photo by Alan Denney] UK: London’s Harvest Festival is celebrated in October and is organized by the Royal Horticultural Society. It features several activities, including the Fruit & Vegetable Competition, which highlights some of the UK’s best produce. The two-day festival also features an apple tasting and a giant pumpkin contest.
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- [Photo by Leon Brocard] INDIA: Indians celebrate a four-day festival, known as Pongal, January 12th through the 15th. Pongal marks the beginning of the end of India’s winter season. During the second day, people throw their old clothes into the fire, have an oil massage and then wear new clothes, to worship Surya, the sun god. It’s known as Surya Pongal, and it is the most important day of the festival. Throughout the celebration, women perform puja for the prosperity of their brothers, families decorate their floor with decorative patterns using rice flour, and cattle are bathed, dressed and served pongal (rice boiled in milk).
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- [Photo by Meg Stewart] BARBADOS: During the Crop Over participants sing, dance, eat, and compete in a calypso music competition. The festival starts in June and ends on the first Monday in August. It’s considered Barbados’ largest national festival (similar to Carnival in Brazil).
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- [Photo by WorldStreetPhotos.com] ISRAEL: Sukkot is a biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei, which is between late September and late October. Also known as the Feast of Booths or Feast of Tabernacles, Jewish people spend the day reflecting on how the Israelites felt after the exodus from slavery in Egypt, as referenced in the Bible.
(Source: TravelChannel.com)
