Gan’en Jie Kuaile! (Happy Thanksgiving!)

Festive Corn, Ganen Ji Kualie Thanksgiving
Gan’en Jie Kuaile! Happy Thanksgiving!

It’s that time of year (traditionally) when most Americans will set aside time for gathering with family and friends, and express gratitude for the blessings of the previous year(s).

“Picking up on this American holiday, Chinese people generally think this is a time to have a Western meal and thank friends, family, workmates, and teachers or bosses. They call it “Gan’en Jie” (感恩节, literally: ‘thanks for grace holiday’).”

You can read more at China Highlights.

Unfortunately, I missed an opportunity to share last month about Mid-Autumn Festival, which celebrates three fundamental concepts that are closely connected (to each other and American Thanksgiving celebrations):

  • Gathering, such as family and friends coming together, or harvesting crops for the festival. It’s said the moon is the brightest and roundest on this day which means family reunion. And this is the main reason why people think mid-autumn is important.
  • Thanksgiving, to give thanks for the harvest, or for harmonious unions
  • Praying (asking for conceptual or material satisfaction), such as for babies, a spouse, beauty, longevity, or for a good future”

For Discussion:

  • How do you integrate and honor traditional Chinese holidays in your practice of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine?
  • Do you think doing so is important or useful?

Feel free to discuss these topics with other ACTCM Alumni on the Alumni page on Facebook and LinkedIn.


Click here to view upcoming ACTCM events.


About American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine
American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ACTCM) has provided affordable, quality health care to the public and trained professionals in acupuncture, massage and Chinese medicine since 1980. In addition to its graduate curriculum, ACTCM offers continuing education, public education, community outreach and clinical services in acupuncture and herbal medicine. ACTCM has been the recipient of many awards for its curriculum, faculty and clinic, and has been voted “Best of the Bay” by both the San Francisco Weekly and the San Francisco Bay Guardian. ACTCM is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and is a private, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization