About this Holiday
Labour Thanksgiving Day (Kinrō Kansha no Hi), observed on November 23, is a holiday to honor labor, production, and the spirit of mutual gratitude. The holiday has ancient roots in the Niiname-sai (新嘗祭), an imperial harvest festival in which the Emperor offers the first harvest of the year to the gods and partakes of the new grain. In modern times, children often make hand-crafted gifts for local community workers such as police officers and firefighters as an expression of appreciation.