The Thanksgiving holiday in the United States is a time when interfaith groups around the country gather to celebrate and give thanks together. As Silicon Valley Interreligious Council put it in their latest e-newsletter, “Gratitude and giving thanks are activities that most religious traditions share, and Thanksgiving Day offers the opportunity to join together with our neighbors of different religions in giving thanks for all that sustains our lives, our families and our communities.”
If your Thanksgiving activity is not highlighted here, email [email protected] with the details!
Compassionate Action Network International
The Compassion Games, an initiative of the Compassionate Action Network, will launch the Giving Games the day after Thanksgiving. The Giving Games: Youth and Schools Play it Forward are an day global challenge to inspire, develop, and celebrate our shared humanity through acts of generosity and compassion. Beginning on December 1st – a day known as Giving Tuesday – and going through December 11th, the Giving Games are played globally between youth, educators, and mentors to foster safe and fulfilling places of learning, helping the next generation develop into happy, compassionate, creative, and resilient members of our world! Find out about how to participate here.
Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County
Several Thanksgiving activities will take place in Contra Costa County during the Thanksgiving season, including a service to welcome refugees at a Jewish congregation. For more information, click here.
Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada
The Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada's annual Thanksgiving Service takes place on the Sunday before Thanksgiving and is a special time for members of different faith communities to come together in the spirit of gratitude. The services rotates to different houses of worship each year and each location offers its own special program. This year the service will take place at Congregation Ner Tamid in Henderson, Nevada on Sunday, November 22 at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome! More details.
Marin Interfaith Council
The Marin Interfaith Council joins with the Marin Interfaith Street Chaplaincy for the 18th Annual Thanksgiving Eve Service followed by a brief reception. The service will be held at First Presbyterian Church in San Rafael, California on Wednesday November 25 at 7:00 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring offerings of clean or new sleeping bags, tarps, and socks for our friends on the street.
Rothko Chapel
Rothko Chapel's annual interfaith service in Houston, Texas brings together leaders and members of nine faiths to offer prayers of thanksgiving and read sacred texts on thankfulness. All are welcome and a reception follows the program. Click here to see photos and videos.
San Francisco Interfaith Council
Annually, the San Francisco Interfaith Council (SFIC) hosts an interfaith Thanksgiving prayer breakfast. This year the theme of the prayer breakfast is "Faith and Sanctuary: There Are No Strangers," which will honor congregations who pioneered San Francisco's sanctuary movement 30 years ago. For more details about the prayer breakfast, click here. SFIC will also join with the local Baha'i community for an interfaith Thanksgiving service at 10 am on Thanksgiving. For more details, click here.
Silicon Valley Interreligious Council
Four interfaith thanksgiving services will take place in the Silicon Valley area of California, including at a Jewish congregation in Palo Alto, a Presbyterian church in San Jose, at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints churches in Los Gatos and Saratoga. For more information click here.
