Do Jewish People Celebrate Thanksgiving and Can Jews Celebrate Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is largely an American and Canadian holiday, though today more people in various countries around the world are celebrating it. Thanksgiving in the United States is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November and in Canada it is celebrated on the second Monday of October. On Thanksgiving many families get together for a dinner which is often comprised of Turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.

If you are Jewish and invited to a Thanksgiving dinner or want to host one is there any halachic issue (issue in Jewish law)?
The concept of a thanksgiving holiday/festival appears in almost every culture. A celebration is held at the beginning or the end of the harvest season to give thanks. As Jews we celebrate this with the festival of Shavuot, which is also known as ‘Chag Habikurm’ because the first fruits harvested were brought to the temple as a gift. Chag Hakatzir is another name for Shavout which alludes to celebrating the first harvest of grain.

In some indigenous cultures they will celebrate at the end of the harvest season and give thanks to their idols and pagan deities. Such a thanksgiving celebration a Jew should not attend. However the thanksgiving instituted in North America is about giving thanks to G-d for a good harvest and thus there would be nothing wrong for a Jew to take part off course provided the meal was kosher.

Is turkey kosher? Read more HERE!