You are back online

Thanksgiving season is a time of gratitude, generosity, and connection. Families and friends gather to share a special meal and give thanks for the blessings of the year. As this warm holiday rolls around, it also ushers in the frenzied start of the shopping season, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday offering big deals right before the year-end. In this guide, we’ll explore what Thanksgiving is all about (including Thanksgiving 2025’s date, meaning, and global celebrations), and then dive into smart “sending” tips, from saving money on Black Friday bargains to supporting loved ones abroad through platforms like sendvalu. By combining the spirit of gratitude with savvy financial planning, you can make the most of the holidays for yourself and your community.
Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated in the United States each autumn, centered on giving thanks for the harvest and the year’s blessings. In 2025, Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 27. The tradition dates back to the early colonial era: famously, in 1621, English Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony shared a harvest feast with the Wampanoag people, an event often cited as the “first Thanksgiving” in American history. For over two centuries afterward, various colonies and states held their own days of thanks. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day each November, cementing the holiday’s place in U.S. culture.
Today, Thanksgiving’s cultural meaning centers on gratitude, family, and generosity. The heart of the celebration is a plentiful Thanksgiving dinner shared with loved ones. Traditional dishes date back to New England harvest times, most famously roast turkey, along with stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and other regional favorites. People often travel long distances to be with family for the holiday. Around the table, it’s common for everyone to express what they’re thankful for before digging in. Beyond feasting, other customs have grown around Thanksgiving: many attend religious services or say prayers of thanks, volunteers serve meals to the less fortunate, and towns host festive parades (the Macy’s Parade in New York City is an iconic example). Thanksgiving football games on TV are a newer tradition that brings families together on the couch.
Importantly, Thanksgiving also embodies generosity and community spirit. Charities and churches across the country organize free dinners for those in need on Thanksgiving, emphasizing that it’s a day to share our abundance and care for others. This spirit of giving and togetherness transcends borders and has helped Thanksgiving become meaningful not just to Americans but to people around the world who resonate with its message.
While Thanksgiving originated in the United States, celebrations of gratitude and harvest are observed in various forms across numerous countries. Several nations (or communities within them) have their own “Thanksgiving” holidays or similar festivals, even if they fall on different dates or have unique historical roots. Here are some notable examples of regions and countries that celebrate Thanksgiving (or an equivalent) around the world:
As the above list shows, the idea of setting aside a day to be grateful for the harvest or good fortune is truly global. Similar festivals of thanks exist in many other places as well; for instance, Britain has long had annual harvest home celebrations in churches, and many Asian and African cultures hold post-harvest festivals thanking their deities or ancestors for bounty. And of course, American expatriates living abroad often host their own Thanksgiving dinners, sharing turkey and traditions with international friends. No matter the location or origin story, these observances share a common theme: coming together in appreciation and community.
At its core, Thanksgiving isn’t just about a meal; it’s about gratitude and generosity. The holiday reminds us to appreciate what we have and to help those who have less. This spirit naturally extends beyond one’s immediate family. In an increasingly interconnected world, many people use the Thanksgiving season to reach out across borders and support loved ones and communities in other countries.
Modern immigration and globalization mean that millions have family members spread around the globe. These folks can’t always join hands at the same table for Thanksgiving, but they still find ways to share support and love from afar. One powerful way is through remittances, sending money or resources back home. In fact, every year, more than 200 million migrants send money to support their families in their home countries, benefiting over 800 million relatives, roughly 1 in 8 people worldwide who rely on these funds. That flow of support, often directed to rural villages or developing regions, pays for essentials like food, housing, education, and healthcare. In many communities, the money sent from abroad is a lifeline that keeps families afloat and even helps entire villages prosper. In this way, the Thanksgiving spirit of sharing blessings lives on through the actions of those who give part of their earnings to improve the lives of others.
Thankfully, sending support overseas has become much easier in recent years. Gone are the days of mailing cash or waiting weeks for a check to clear. The rise of digital money transfer apps and fintech services means help can travel across the world almost instantly. These platforms prioritize speed, security, and low fees, so that more of your gift actually reaches your loved ones. (After all, every dollar saved on transfer fees is a dollar that goes to your family instead.) As an example, sendvalu, a multi-service remittance platform, emphasizes “sharing support and care effortlessly around the world.” Founded in 2006, sendvalu enables fast, affordable transfers to over 140 countries, and it goes beyond traditional money wiring. Users can not only send money internationally with low fees, but also recharge mobile phones abroad and even send digital gift cards to someone across the globe. This means you could top up a cousin’s cellphone minutes in Africa, or email a grocery gift card to a friend in Latin America, all from the same app. Such services illustrate how technology is magnifying our capacity to be generous across distances. With a few taps, you can let far-away family know you’re thinking of them and contribute to their well-being.
Crucially, the idea of “smart sending” isn’t just about wiring money; it’s about being thoughtful in how we give and spend, to maximize the positive impact. Around Thanksgiving and the holidays, smart sending might mean budgeting for charitable donations, getting the best value when shopping for gifts, or choosing to send funds instead of expensive parcels. In the next section, we’ll look at how the post-Thanksgiving shopping rush (Black Friday and Cyber Monday) can be navigated wisely, so that generosity doesn’t turn into financial strain. After all, practicing gratitude should go hand in hand with sound financial habits.
Immediately after Thanksgiving, a very different American tradition takes center stage: shopping. The day following Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday, and it has become an unofficial holiday of its own, a day dedicated to massive retail sales. Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving (always a Friday, of course), and it’s routinely “the busiest shopping day of the year” in the United States. This day began as a way for stores to kick off the Christmas holiday shopping season with big discounts and doorbuster deals, capitalizing on people having the day off. Black Friday 2025 is on Friday, November 28, 2025. Mark your calendar if you’re a bargain-hunter. Traditionally, many U.S. retailers open very early (some even at midnight) and offer limited-time sales that draw huge crowds. It’s not uncommon to see lines of excited shoppers camping out before dawn on Black Friday, hoping to snag a new TV or toy at a deep discount. In fact, Black Friday has become such a cultural phenomenon that many other countries have adopted it too (even if they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving), from the UK to India, retailers worldwide now run “Black Friday” promotions in late November.
Over the years, Black Friday’s influence has expanded beyond just a single day. Retailers realized they could drive sales all weekend, so now the discounts often continue through the weekend and into Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday refers to the Monday immediately after Thanksgiving (in 2025 it falls on December 1 2025), which is dedicated to online shopping deals. The term arose in the mid-2000s when e-commerce was booming, and online retailers found that the Monday after Thanksgiving saw a spike in sales as people jumped on their computers at work to shop for deals they might’ve missed. Today, the whole period from Black Friday through Monday is sometimes called “Cyber Weekend,” filled with both in-store and online bargains. For example, many brick-and-mortar stores discount products on Black Friday, while e-commerce giants like Amazon roll out flash sales through Monday. The result? Consumers enjoy several days of intense promotions on everything from electronics to clothing to travel packages.
While Black Friday and Cyber Monday offer great opportunities to save money, they can also tempt us into overspending on impulse purchases. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of 50% off sales and “limited time only” offers. That’s why it’s important to approach the season with a plan, or what we’re calling smart sending and spending. In the next section, we’ll share tips on how to maximize value during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday frenzy (and the overall holiday season) without breaking your budget. This way, you can take advantage of the generosity of sales while still holding onto the spirit of gratitude (and avoid a financial hangover in January!).
With the holidays around the corner, it’s wise to get your finances ready. Whether you’re hunting for Black Friday bargains, planning year-end festivities, or sending support to family overseas, a little strategy will help you get the most value out of each dollar. Here are some practical tips for smart spending and “sending” during this Thanksgiving-to-New Year period:
By following these tips, you’ll strike a healthy balance between celebration and savvy budgeting. You can snag the deals that truly matter, support those you care about, and still head into the New Year with your finances intact. Smart sending is all about being intentional: you direct your resources to where they have the most value, whether that’s buying a meaningful gift at a great price or sending money home where it counts, and avoiding wasteful spending born from momentary temptation.
From the gratitude of Thanksgiving to the generosity of holiday gifting, late November into December is a season that highlights what matters most: our connections with each other. This year, as Thanksgiving 2025 arrives on November 27, people in the U.S. and beyond will pause to count their blessings and share what they have. Many cultures will do the same in their own ways, proving that thankfulness is a universal language. Then, as the calendar flips to Black Friday and the shopping frenzy begins, we’ll jump at chances to give and receive during the holidays. In all of this, remembering to be thoughtful about where Thanksgiving comes from, about supporting those we love across any distance, and about spending wisely, will make the season all the more rewarding. With a thankful heart and a smart plan in hand, you can embrace the spirit of “gratitude and smart sending” to make Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and beyond truly happy and meaningful for everyone.
Happy Thanksgiving, and happy holidays!
You can stay connected in many meaningful ways during the season. Explore secure money transfers and stay connected with ease, discover fast global mobile top-ups to keep conversations going, or find digital gift cards that make giving thoughtful and simple. Each option helps you share support and care with the people who matter most.
Sources:
History – Thanksgiving 2025: Tradition, Origins & Meaning
Wikipedia – Thanksgiving (United States)
VOA News – Other Countries that Celebrate Thanksgiving
Vox – 5 Countries Besides America Where People Celebrate Thanksgiving
People – It's Official! Amazon’s Black Friday Sale Will Kick Off a Week Early
Lake Ridge Bank – Holiday Budgeting & Saving: Plan Ahead for a Joyful Season
sendvalu Blog – Sending Money to Rural Areas: What You Need to Know
sendvalu Blog – Why Remittance Apps Dominate in 2025 and Why Choose sendvalu