Thanksgiving is one of the most popular and highly anticipated holidays every year. It's a special time to reflect and acknowledge everything that you are most thankful for in your life, whether that's the constant love from your family and friends or the incredibly positive shifts that came your way.
While it's widely known as a Western practice, giving thanks is a universal concept, and different countries worldwide have their own version of celebrating Thanksgiving. One beautiful way this sentiment is expressed is through the language of flowers. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the diverse Thanksgiving flower traditions from around the globe.
American Thanksgiving
In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. One of the most common floral arrangements during this holiday is the cornucopia. The American Institute of Floral Designers Guide to Floral Design illustrates it as a seasonal floral arrangement that uses a container, often a basket, shaped like a goat's horn or cone, overflowingly filled with seasonal fruits, gourds, flowers, foliage, or grains. Autumn flowers, such as sunflowers, chrysanthemums, dahlias, and orange roses are popular choices. Cornucopia flower arrangements are iconic Thanksgiving centerpieces, symbolizing the bountiful harvest from the earth, which we should be grateful for.
Chuseok -Korean Thanksgiving
Korea celebrates Chuseok, a harvest festival with similarities to Thanksgiving, during the autumn season. Chrysanthemums, seen as a symbol of happiness, longevity, and good luck in Korean culture, are used in Thanksgiving tablescapes and decorations. Celebrating a year of blessed harvest, they feast on delicacies, such as songpyeon, hangwa, bulgogi, japchae, and songpyeon, a type of tteok (small rice cake) traditionally eaten during Chuseok. It is also common to drink Korean liquors like baekseju and rice wines (makgeolli).
Canadian Thanksgiving
Canadian Thanksgiving, celebrated on the second Monday in October, showcases a similar spirit to its American counterpart. A common tradition involves creating rich and colorful centerpieces. Vibrant orange, red, and yellow flowers like marigolds, daisies, and lilies grace dining tables, reflecting the rich colors of the Canadian autumn landscape.
Dia de Ação de Graças -Brazilian Thanksgiving
In Brazil, the Thanksgiving tradition, Dia de Ação de Graças, is celebrated with a unique blend of American and Brazilian culture. Falling on the same day, those who celebrate feast on pumpkin pie and roasted turkey or "peru" in Portugese among others. It's also common to decorate with tasteful Thanksgiving tablescapes or have gratitude bouquets for hostess gifts, featuring tropical blooms like orchids and vibrant heliconias. They veer away from black and purple roses and carnations because these blooms are associated with death.
Erntedankfest - German Thanksgiving
Erntedankfest, the German Thanksgiving, celebrates the harvest and gives thanks for the yield of the fields. They celebrate it in the first week of October, making it closer to Canadian than American Thanksgiving. In this tradition, flower-adorned harvest wreaths, known as "Erntekrone," are created. These wreaths are typically made with wheat, grains, and colorful autumn flowers like sunflowers, reflecting the season's abundance.
Beautiful Thanksgiving Flowers for Same-Day Delivery
It's amazing how flowers can connect different peoples and cultures while making special occasions even more memorable. At Orchid Republic, we're passionate about making every day unforgettably beautiful with our exquisite floral creations. Make us a part of your colorful Thanksgiving traditions with our breathtaking fall collection. We can also create custom floral designs and offer same-day flower delivery anywhere in Los Angeles and Orange County.
Leave a comment