Australian Thanksgiving Day

The Day after Tomorrow marks the day we set foot in Australia to live as a family seven years ago.

It is a huge event to me and a very spiritual significance. We HAVE to thank God for it. It just so happens to be close to the same day when the US celebrates theirs.

So here is how we are going to celebrate our Thanksgiving Day:

1. Lots of rainbows - Rainbows signify God’s promise to us. And Noah’s Ark stories because God sent us here to “Build an Ark”.

2. A lot of ‘Thank you’s to God for everything especially for bringing us to this land

3. Our Thanksgiving is in Spring, so lots of flowers, not leaves like in the US where it is Autumn

4. Our theme color, decoration and dress code is rainbows and flowers the whole day

5. It is a spiritual festival. This means there is worship and prayer together

6. We also celebrate with food: Thanksgiving Breakfast, Thanksgiving Lunch and Thanksgiving Dinner, but not with Turkey. Ours is with Local Meat like Kangaroo 🦘 , Angus Beef (only found in Australia) or locally caught fish. Native meat and veggies that other countries don’t have. 

7. Only our family celebrates this event. Grandma and Grandpa were with us when we came, so we can celebrate with them but when they come back. We can invite guests to celebrate with us if we want but not this year.

8. This year is our 7th year. So we will have the number 7 here and there

9. We have to eat our own harvests from the garden — every fruit and veggie variety that is in season and ready for harvest should be eaten at least once. If we have extra, to share them with others.

10. We send messages to certain people to thank them for helping us to come to Australia and for other stuff they have helped us with over the years

11. We also eat iconic Australian Dishes like Sausage Sizzle, beef pie, fish and chips, etc.

12. Thanksgiving songs we sing:

- Great Southland of the Holy Spirit (God told us to go South 3 times)

- I Believe

- Goodness of God

13. Every kid gives thanks for something at each meal.

14. We eat on the floor with food served on boxes to remind ourselves of the first dinner we had in Australia without any furniture.

15. We give a gift to the friends who have helped us move to Australia.

16. We read the chapter that God gave Elisha when we asked Him whether to move to Australia: Deuteronomy 8

On the lighter note, here’s our menu for Thanksgiving:

Thanksgiving Breakfast:

Pancake in Native Aussie Animal shapes 🦘 🐨 kokkaburra etc.

Thanksgiving lunch:

Fish and chips 

Beef Pie 🥧 

Sausage Sizzle

Thanksgiving Dinner:

Angus Beef or Kangaroo Meat

Veggie Soup from our own Garden to thank God for the Harvest He gave us.

Tangerine Lemon Drinks (from the Garden)

That’s all I’ve come up with for now. It’s also our first time celebrating like that.