An Australian friend recently asked me about the significance of the Thanksgiving holiday in America. Living abroad, I am accustomed to people not understanding this holiday as it is uniquely American and does not have its roots in European traditions like Christmas and Halloween. And because it is only celebrated in the United States, it doesn’t get the same amount of mass marketing as these other holidays.

Officially the story behind Thanksgiving is that it commemorates the day, in 1607, when Plymouth colonists from England and the Wampanoag Native Americans shared a harvest feast. (Native Americans do not celebrate this holiday for obvious reasons, and some Americans have followed suit.) 

I used to believe that it was the least consumerist holiday, without major purchases of presents or costumes and candy, but the amount of food and alcohol sold and airline tickets purchased (arguably one of the busiest periods on the U.S. airline calendars), has meant that I no longer feel comfortable with this. Ask me now what I believe Thanksgiving, Christmas and Halloween have in common? I would reply, “Excess.” 

But for many Americans, this national holiday is a genuine celebration because workers actually have the day off with pay.

With the combination of the American work ethic grounded in our Puritan origins (thank you Pilgrim mothers and fathers) and rampant capitalism, having one day off feels like the psychological equivalent of having two weeks paid vacation in a tropical paradise. People living in other countries can’t fully appreciate the pressure in the U.S. workplace and how it often feels like we can’t even take the holidays we have earned. There is this implication that if we can take off more than two weeks—then we must not be critical to the operation of the organization or business where we work. So one day of paid leave feels luxurious. 

But back to Thanksgiving celebrations. Even living overseas, this holiday still retains its importance to me because at its core it is about connecting with family and friends. Whether we are staging our celebration in Australia on the official day or not ( the U.S.celebrates on the fourth Thursday in November), it still feels like we are celebrating the most important holiday on the American calendar.