Looking For a New Thanksgiving Tradition? THESE GLOBAL CUSTOMS ARE WORTH TRYING
Thanksgiving has a way of bringing people together, but who says you have to celebrate it the same way every year? While the classic turkey dinner and pumpkin pie will always have their place, cultures around the world have their own beautiful traditions centered on gratitude, harvest, and community. Borrowing a few of these customs can make your celebration feel even more meaningful. Whether you’re hosting a big family feast or a cozy dinner with friends, these global traditions are easy to add to your own Thanksgiving table. Celebrate the harvest together. In Germany, Erntedankfest, or the Harvest Thanksgiving Festival, focuses on giving thanks for a successful harvest. Communities often gather for church services, parades, and shared meals. However, you don’t need a parade to capture the spirit. Consider decorating your table with seasonal fruits, vegetables,
and flowers, then take a moment before dinner to appreciate the abundance in your own life. Turn gratitude into a family tradition. South Korea’s Chuseok is a harvest celebration that emphasizes family, remembrance, and gratitude. Loved ones gather, share traditional meals, and honor relatives who came before them. You can borrow this idea by inviting everyone at the table to share a favorite family memory or say one thing they’re thankful for before the meal begins. It’s a simple tradition that creates lasting memories. Share the bounty. Nigeria’s New Yam Festival celebrates the first yam harvest with music, dancing, and communal feasts. One of the main themes is sharing food with others. Bring that same generosity to your Thanksgiving by preparing an extra dish for a neighbor, inviting someone who would otherwise spend the holiday alone, or donating food
to a local pantry. Gratitude feels even more meaningful when it’s shared. Make food the star of the celebration. In Malaysia’s Kaamatan festival, rice symbolizes life and gratitude, and communities celebrate with traditional foods, cultural performances, and joyful gatherings. While your menu doesn’t need to feature rice, you can highlight foods that tell your family’s story. Serve a favorite family recipe, include a dish from your cultural background, or ask guests to bring something that represents their heritage. Create your own global tradition. Thanksgiving is all about celebrating gratitude in a way that feels authentic. Borrowing traditions from around the world reminds us that gratitude is universal. This year, mix old favorites with new ideas, gather the people you love, and create traditions everyone will look forward to for years to come.
WHEN THE CLOCK KEEPS MOVING Understanding Fatigue Risks for Truck Drivers
A truck driver can start the day with a clear road ahead and a delivery deadline waiting hundreds of miles away. Then traffic backs up, a crash closes a lane, a bathroom break takes longer than expected, and the clock keeps moving. For truck drivers, those everyday delays can add pressure to an already demanding schedule. That’s one reason drowsy driving deserves attention, especially during Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, Nov. 1–7. Why Truck Drivers Face Drowsiness Truck drivers cover long distances, often with firm delivery times. Drivers can face time pressure when they’re expected to reach a location hundreds of miles away by a certain hour, even if unexpected problems slow them down. That pressure can make fatigue a serious concern, particularly during long stretches behind the wheel.
Drowsy driving affects more than the person behind the wheel. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notes sleepiness can impair cognition and performance, and drowsy- driving crashes frequently occur during periods when the body naturally becomes more tired, including between midnight and 6 a.m. and in the late afternoon. How Hours of Service Help Federal hours-of-service rules are designed to limit how long commercial drivers can remain behind the wheel and to provide required rest periods. For property-carrying truck drivers, the current rules generally allow up to 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty. Drivers also can’t drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty. There’s also a required 30-minute break after a driver has accumulated eight hours of driving. The rules also include longer-
term limits, restricting driving after a driver reaches 60 or 70 hours on duty over seven or eight consecutive days, depending on the carrier’s operation. These limits give drivers structured opportunities to rest and set clear boundaries on how much time they can spend working and driving. Why the Rules Matter After a Crash Hours-of-service records can become particularly important after a trucking crash. If a driver was operating outside the applicable limits, questions about fatigue and whether the driver had enough opportunity to rest may become part of the investigation. Drowsy Driving Prevention Week offers a timely reminder that driving while exhausted can have serious consequences. For truck drivers, following hours-of-service requirements is one way to prevent fatigue from becoming another hazard on already demanding roads.
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