Celebrate it. Thanksgiving is a civic holiday that fits naturally into Orthodox life because our entire faith is built on thanksgiving. The word “Eucharist” literally means thanksgiving, and every time we come to Divine Liturgy we’re giving thanks to God for everything He’s done.
But here’s the thing. We don’t need one Thursday in November to remember to be grateful. We do that every Sunday. Every Vespers. Every time we pray before a meal or cross ourselves when we wake up. Fr. Lawrence Farley from the OCA puts it well: the Christian faith is all about thanksgiving, not just once a year but always. So Thanksgiving Day isn’t when we suddenly remember to thank God, it’s when the rest of the country catches up to what we’re already doing.
That said, there’s nothing wrong with marking the day. Gather your family. Cook a big meal. Invite people who’d otherwise be alone. These are good things. Just keep it grounded in prayer, not football and shopping.
The Nativity Fast Question
Here’s where it gets practical for Orthodox Christians. Thanksgiving usually falls during the Nativity Fast, which starts November 15. So what do you do when Grandma’s serving turkey and your Baptist in-laws think you’ve joined a cult if you ask for just the green beans?
Different priests will give you different answers, and that’s fine. Some will say enjoy the feast as a pastoral exception, hospitality and family peace matter. The late Metropolitan Philip of the Antiochian Archdiocese was known for his commonsense approach: “Eat the turkey!” Others might encourage you to keep the fast if you can do it without making a scene or causing family strife.
Here’s my take. If you’re hosting, you can plan a fasting-friendly feast and nobody will even notice. Roasted vegetables, stuffing made with olive oil instead of butter, mashed potatoes with almond milk, a beautiful salmon. But if you’re a guest and breaking the fast means you can sit at your mother-in-law’s table without turning the whole day into a religious debate, then eat what’s offered with gratitude and get back to the fast on Friday.
The point of fasting isn’t rigid rule-keeping. It’s training in self-control and dependence on God. If you’re using the fast as a weapon against your family or a way to feel superior, you’ve already lost the plot.
Make It Actually Thanksgiving
Start the day with prayer. Not just a quick “bless this food” before you carve the turkey. I mean real prayer. Many Orthodox families read the Akathist of Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving morning or the night before. It’s a beautiful service written by a priest in a Soviet labor camp, thanking God for everything, even suffering. You can find it online or ask for a copy at church.
If you’ve got little kids, don’t try to read the whole thing. Pick a few stanzas. Let them hear the words “Glory to Thee” over and over. That’s the refrain that runs through the whole akathist, and it’s the heartbeat of Orthodox life.
Some parishes serve a Liturgy on Thanksgiving morning. Go if you can. There’s something right about starting a day of feasting with the Eucharist. You’re reminded that every good gift comes from God, and that the food on your table later is an extension of the Bread and Wine you received at the chalice.
Then when you sit down to eat, bless the food. Not a generic “for what we are about to receive” prayer, but an actual Orthodox blessing. Ask your priest if you’re not sure what to say. Or use one of the meal prayers from your prayer book. Make the sign of the cross over the table. Let your kids see that this meal is holy because God made it and we’re thanking Him for it.
What to Avoid
Don’t let Thanksgiving become just another excuse for excess. The consumerism around this holiday has gotten out of hand. Black Friday sales start on Thursday now. People camp outside stores or spend the whole meal looking at their phones planning shopping routes. That’s not thanksgiving. That’s gluttony and greed with a side of mashed potatoes.
And don’t treat Thanksgiving as a substitute for the Eucharist. The culture around you might think this is their one day a year to be grateful and spiritual. You know better. You’re being formed every week in the Divine Liturgy to give thanks in all circumstances. Thanksgiving Day is just one more opportunity to do what you’re already doing.
If you’re in Southeast Texas, you probably know people who work offshore or in the plants on rotating schedules. Some of them will miss Thanksgiving with family this year. Invite them to your table. That’s what Orthodox hospitality looks like. We don’t just feed our own.
The Bigger Picture
Thanksgiving can be a good reminder that everything we have is a gift. Your job, your health, your family, the fact that you found the Orthodox Church, none of it is something you earned or deserved. It’s all grace. When you sit down to that meal, you’re acting out something true about reality: God gives, and we receive with gratitude.
The Liturgy teaches us this every week. “Thine own of Thine own we offer unto Thee, on behalf of all and for all.” Even the bread and wine we bring to the altar are His gifts first. We’re just giving back what He already gave us. That’s the shape of the Christian life. Receive everything as gift. Offer everything back in thanksgiving. Repeat.
So yes, celebrate Thanksgiving. Cook something good. Gather people you love. But make sure you’re actually giving thanks to the One who gives every good gift. And then get up Friday morning and keep doing it.
