Unique Thanksgiving Day dishes and traditions

How did Thanksgiving come about?

Dal Domebo, Native American Program Lead At Wichita Public Schools explains the origin and meaning of Thanksgiving.

There’s the fan favorite Thanksgiving dishes such as the turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie, but there are some pockets in the United States that have their own unique Thanksgiving menu items.

Whether it’s a fun spin on pumpkin pie or switching out that turkey for a seafood bake, take a look at these regional Thanksgiving dishes.

Thanksgiving around the world

Canada

Canada celebrated its very first Thanksgiving in 1578, predating America’s holiday, according to History.com.

Martin Frobisher, an English navigator, held a ceremony in what is now Nunavut to give thanks for a safe expedition. This was considered the first-ever Thanksgiving celebration in North America.

But it should be noted that the indigenous people of Canada, known as the First Nations, and Native Americans had been holding harvest festivals well before Europeans arrived.

Germany

In Germany, their equivalent to Thanksgiving is known as Erntedankfest, which means "harvest festival of thanks."

Today, Erntedankfest is viewed as a mainly religious holiday and is typically held on the first Sunday of November, according to Germanfoods.org.

Tips for preparing your Thanksgiving feast

Ready or not, the holidays are here. It’s a time when many Americans accustomed to preparing simple meals find themselves responsible for safely serving multi-dish feasts. Maria Baradell, an expert on home baking, joined LiveNOW from FOX with helpful tips for this holiday season.

Japan

In Japan, their version of Thanksgiving is known as Kinro Kansha no Hi, which roughly translates to Labor Thanksgiving Day.

It evolved from an ancient rice harvest festival which dates back as far as the seventh century A.D., according to History.com.

Today, the holiday is often marked by children making thank you cards for policemen, firefighters and other municipal workers.

Liberia

In the early 1820s, freed slaves from the U.S. were sent to Liberia with help from the American Colonization Society. The private organization believed African Americans should be returned to their home countries to help spread Christianity and believed this would solve the issue of slavery in the U.S., according to History.com.

They brought their American traditions with them to Liberia and in the early 1880s, the country’s government declared the first Thursday of November as National Thanksgiving Day.

Today, Thanksgiving in Liberia is celebrated with fruit baskets, roasted chicken, mashed cassavas and live music and dancing.