Learning to say thank you

According to traditional Chinese culture, a polite manner and a grateful heart are two key traits of a gentleman. However, in modern China, these two qualities are no longer highly valued by many people, thus giving rise to the debate whether it's necessary to establish a festival along the lines of Thanksgiving in the United States, to highlight the need for politeness and thankfulness.

There are many Chinese sayings that emphasize the importance of being thankful, such as "a drop of water should be paid back with a fountain" and "when you receive a plum, you should return a peach".

The first Thanksgiving was in 1621, before the US was even a country. Pilgrims, people who had settled in America from Europe, gave thanks for a successful harvest. They invited the Native Americans, who had helped them. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving an official holiday.

The festival was originally designed to express thanks to others. Instead of giving out gifts, most families eat turkey on Thanksgiving day. Other Thanksgiving food includes sweet potato or mashed potato, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie (a dessert) and "stuffing" (made out of bread).

Some activists say China should establish a festival to encourage people to practice thankfulness, because many people are getting lost in the rapidly growing market economy.

Experts say that the absence of thankfulness may also be a result of China's education system, which accentuates high scores. Under such a competitive regime, Chinese children, who have no siblings because they were born under the country's family planning policy, become more self-centered and tend to take anything they receive for granted.

A survey by bbs.people.com.cn conducted in 2013, showed Chinese people are less interested in spending traditional holidays with family members and relatives, adding to the argument that it's necessary for the country to do something to emphasize family love and friendship.

In the US, Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of each November. On that day, in addition to eating turkeys and pumpkins, many cities have parades with marching bands. People often watch these on TV. The most famous is Macy's in New York, sponsored by Macy's Department Store. It is famous for huge balloons in the shape of cartoon characters. Some people also like to watch professional football teams on television on Thanksgiving.

Canada has a similar holiday, on the second Monday of October.

There are many Chinese sayings that emphasize the importance of being thankful, such as "a drop of water should be paid back with a fountain" and "when you receive a peach, you should return a plum".