Is Thanksgiving a Holy Day of Obligation in the US?

[Brendan]

Why would Thanksgiving Day (a get together celebration by native Americans and Protestants) be a Catholic Holy Day of Obligation?

Interestingly enough, Squanto was a Catholic. He had been an English slave, who freed by Spanish Franciscians. It was there he was educated and Baptized.

sfgate.com/opinion/openforum/article/How-Squanto-became-a-Thanksgiving-hero-4058135.php

 

[Phemie]

Why would Thanksgiving Day (a get together celebration by native Americans and Protestants) be a Catholic Holy Day of Obligation?

Interesting question.

In French Canada, the Canadian Thanksgiving is seen as more of a religious holiday than anything else. In my family that was the weekend my parents went hunting. There was a serious disconnect when I met my Anglophone husband.

We met Thanksgiving weekend and he spent Thanksgiving at my friends’ apartment enjoying a spaghetti dinner with us. I never thought anything of it because the holiday itself had no meaning to me beyond being a day off from work but his mother and father fumed because he didn’t even call home to tell them he wouldn’t show up to the feast his mom had prepared.

 

[Magnanimous]

Well to reiterate what others have said, Thanksgiving(USA) Day wouldn’t be a Holy Day of Obligation anywhere, since it isn’t a religious Holiday, but a secular one.

 

[Marysann]

Thanksgiving Day is a secular holiday, but since it is an important American holiday, second only to Christmas, the Church has given us a votive Mass for Thanksgiving Day. It has its own special readings and preface which emphasize the blessings that our country has enjoyed which have come to us from the hand of God, and how we need to give thanks to Him for them. We always try to attend Mass on Thanksgiving Day and were able to do so today even here in Rome. The gospel today was the story of Jesus cleansing the ten lepers, but only one came back to thank Him which gave me a lot to think about. The Mass was sponsored by Santa Susanna Church, the American parish in Rome. Cardinal Law offered the Mass and preached an excellent pro-life homily, and Ambassador Hackett, our ambassador to the Holy See, read the President’s Thanksgiving Day Proclamation. It was a wonderful way for us to begin our Thanksgiving Day here in Rome where no one pays any attention to our American holidays. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

 

[thistle]

She isnt the patron usa. The church ,catholic church, has the same holy day of obligation everywhere. Its the church that made it. There are 10 holy days of obligation. Here’s a link

catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/tp/Holy-Days-Of-Obligation.htm

The number of Holy Days of Obligation varies from country to country.

Here in the Philippines there are only 6 Holy Days of Obligation:

Holy Mary, Mother of God
Epiphany (transferred to the Sunday between Jan 2 and Jan 8)
Ascension (transferred to the following Sunday)
Holy Body and Blood of Christ (transferred to the following Sunday)
Immaculate Conception
Christmas

 

[Phemie]

The number of Holy Days of Obligation varies from country to country.

Here in the Philippines there are only 6 Holy Days of Obligation:

Holy Mary, Mother of God
Epiphany (transferred to the Sunday between Jan 2 and Jan 8)
Ascension (transferred to the following Sunday)
Holy Body and Blood of Christ (transferred to the following Sunday)
Immaculate Conception
Christmas

So actually you’ve only got 3 since 3 are transferred to Sunday which are already Holy Days of Obligation. The other 4 have been abrogated in the Philippines.

 

[turtle18]

Every Sunday is thanksgiving for Roman Catholics. Eucharist is Greek word for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is not a Holy Day of Obligation in America, but Mass attendance is usually higher that day than most weekday Masses.

Holy Day of Obligations do vary by country. According to the Catechism, Feast Day of Saint Joseph and the Feast Day of St, Peter and Paul are Holy Days of Obligation. But they are waived in America.

The Ascension is a Holy Day is most of Europe, feast day of St. James is a Holy Day of Obligation in Spain. Not certain about these two but I think St. Patrick may be a HDO in Ireland and Our Lady of Guadalupe a HDO in Mexico.

 

[robwar]

The person in my parish who schedules readers told me it was, (she asked me to read that day) but I didn’t see anything about it on the USCCB site or on my diocese site.

No, it is just an American holiday and you were probably told this so you would attend and lector. speak to your priest about this because this is a form of manipulation.

 

[Chatter163]

No, it is just an American holiday and you were probably told this so you would attend and lector. speak to your priest about this because this is a form of manipulation.

Wow, that was a leap. Manipulation? No chance of its simply being an error or misunderstanding? We jump right to manipulation? Beside that, the OP was five years ago.

 

[robwar]

Wow, that was a leap. Manipulation? No chance of its simply being an error or misunderstanding? We jump right to manipulation? Beside that, the OP was five years ago.

I lector and even if 5 years old thread, to have the person that schedules lectors etc tell someone that they have to be there it’s a Holy Day of obligation in order to get someone to show up is a form of manipulation. I’ve seen it happen before. BTW, my family did attend Mass this morning and my kids altar served, they were the only children there.

 

[thistle]

So actually you’ve only got 3 since 3 are transferred to Sunday which are already Holy Days of Obligation. The other 4 have been abrogated in the Philippines.

That’s what I would say but the priests always tell us the obligation still exists but we have two for one, saying that both obligations are fulfilled on the same day, i.e. the Sunday obligation and the other Holy Day of Obligation that is moved to the Sunday.