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Gratitude is rarely a one-size-fits-all experience. How you choose to express your appreciation can be as nuanced as you are, whether it takes the form of a few thoughtful words, an offering of some sort, even a celebration.
How you demonstrate gratitude may also differ depending on your geographic location. Variances in history and tradition have resulted in an array of gratitude practices that express the unique values and character of various cultures, all designed to communicate two simple words: thank you.
11 Gratitude Practices From Around the World
From Japan’s Ojigi (bowing) to Italy’s food festivals to mint tea in Morocco, these lessons in learning how to practice gratitude around the world may help make your at-home expressions even richer.
1. India: Puja
Many in India show appreciation through puja, a demonstration of reverence rooted in Hinduism. The components of puja vary by region, but often include temple offerings, chanting, and prayer, all with a goal of expressing gratitude. During puja, images or sculptures of gods provide physical stand-ins meant to allow devotees to communicate directly with their deity.
2. Thailand: Merit-Making
A Buddhist practice, merit-making involves showing gratitude through acts and offerings. Making merit is done by cultivating inner qualities such as generosity, improving personal karma by performing good deeds, and ultimately creating a more harmonious society. These demonstrations of appreciation benefit the self and others while exemplifying the interconnectedness of actions and fate.
3. Italy: Sagre
Community, culture, and food converge in sagre, which are local festivals that celebrate regional harvests and patron saints. Sagre provides attendees with a means of honoring the earth’s bounty through gathering and sharing meals. The weeklong happenings take place late summer through early fall in a public place, such as a field or a piazza. All are welcome.
4. Turkey: Treat Coffee
In Turkey, partaking in coffee culture doubles as a chance to demonstrate your gratitude. A main character in most social interactions, Turkish coffee is typically offered immediately upon entering someone’s home and figures largely in practically all other occasions. The sharing of coffee is thought to communicate warmth, friendship, and gratitude.
5. Japan: Ojigi
Bowing (Ojigi) is a nonverbal means of communicating respect and appreciation in Japanese culture. This everyday showcase of gratitude varies, with bow depth increasing or decreasing depending on the interaction and the respect required.
6. Spain: Festival of Near Death
Being alive calls for gratitude. This thankfulness for life is demonstrated quite literally in the Galicia region of Spain with the Fiesta de Santa Marta de Ribarteme, in which participants who have had a near-death experience (or have come close to losing a loved one) show gratitude for their second chance at life. While this particular display involves lying in coffins, a similar sentiment can be communicated in a way that works for you.
7. Morocco: Mint Tea
A warm welcome in Morocco typically comes with a cup of mint tea. The beverage is a symbol of hospitality and gratitude for guests, as well as a means of establishing connection and respect.
8. Hawaii: Ho’oponopono
Healing and harmony make space for gratitude, and Hawaii’s ancient Ho’oponopono prayer is an example of this. The simple expression, which means “I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I love you. Thank you.,” aims to foster forgiveness and balance through the communication of regret, love, and gratitude.
9. Africa: Ubuntu Philosophy
More way of life than ritual or practice, ubuntu philosophy centers on community and the value of person-to-person interconnectedness. Ubuntu translates as “humanness” or “humanity to others,” and promotes communality, shared experience, and gratitude for those around you over individualism. Incorporating ubuntu into your life can involve taking others into consideration, speaking with kindness, or getting involved in community groups or politics.
10. China: Tea Tapping
In China, a “finger kowtow” or “tea tapping”—tapping two fingers on the table three times—is a way for guests to communicate silent gratitude to the server of their tea. The practice is considered a contemporary extension of the Confucian-era ritual of bowing to the Chinese emperor.
11. Bali: Canang Sari
Balinese culture revolves around ritual. Canang sari is a daily offering that’s easily spotted around the island, usually at the entrance to a house or temple, where small gifts of gratitude to the gods are left. They typically consist of a small woven tray that can hold rice, coins, flowers, and more.
