Thanksgiving in Japan...

For all of you wondering, NO, there is no Thanksgiving Day in Japan. And for you Americans out there, Thanksgiving Day is held in October in Canada. ^_^ I think that is due to the colder climate and earlier seasonal harvest.

Though it is not celebrated here, we do have the delight of celebrating a day off! Yesterday was 'labor day' in Japan. Most people were off but a great deal were still working. You might be thinking "oh, that's typical of workaholic Japan." Well, that might be a half-truth: their thinking being that they can add the missed day off to a longer holiday, making their New Year's or Golden Week/Obon holiday longer.

I enjoyed 'Thanksgiving' here in the company of my friends. Did I miss a traditional Turkey Day dinner? Kinda but not especially. I love turkey, gravy, candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, corn, cranberry jelly, pumpkin pie, stuffing and all the trimmings...yet I do not miss what it does to the waistline or makes me feel - very bloated and full.