The Thanksgiving Day of Lahu People

September 21st  marks the Thanksgiving day of Christians among Lahu people, an ethnic group of China and Mainland Southeast Asia. That day, believers took their farm produce to the church, celebrating the fall harvest. 

Different from the international Thanksgiving Day, the fourth Tuesday in November, Christians of Lahu people celebrate their Thanksgiving day during fall harvest. Each year they took their first bunch of farm produce to the Church, symbolizing that they offer their thanks and harvest to God.

The following pictures are taken during a Thanksgiving celebration (or fall harvest celebration) at Banli Church, Lancang County, Pu-er City, Yunnan Province.

A Christian woman takes vegetable and fruits to the church.

The church members are preparing for loving dinner of the church. They will have dinner together, part of the celebrating.

Christian woman dancing and singing, praising God and giving thanks for the harvest.

A Christian brother is taking a pumpkin to the church.

Believers are giving tithe in the church.

Christians eat together in the church yard.

Singing and dancing, the Lahu Christian give their thanks to God until the night. They celebrate thanksgiving from day to night.

Believers watching the dancing, seated in the church yard.

Believers watching the dancing, seated in the church yard.

The new, shiny church of Lahu people.

Read full gallery in Chinese report.

All photo credit: China Christian Daily

Translated and edited by: Xueping Wang.