Thanksgiving 2025: Festive celebrations and good deeds in Cologne!

Thanksgiving 2025: Festive celebrations and good deeds in Cologne!

Autumn is just around the corner and not only brings colorful leaves, but also a special Sunday: Thanksgiving. On October 5, 2025, the Protestant parishes in Cologne will once again give thanks for the gifts of the earth and daily bread. What are the highlights of this traditional festival in the region? And how is the celebration organized?

Thanksgiving has a long tradition that dates back to the third century. Thanks to the celebration, not only is God honored for the harvest, but also awareness of creation is increased, as the Archdiocese of Cologne reports. In many communities, the altars are festively decorated with harvest offerings, including fresh fruit and vegetables. Numerous events also take place, ranging from family services to joint celebrations or concerts.

Cologne Thanksgiving campaigns

The Evangelical Community of Cologne will hold a service on October 5th at 10:00 a.m. in the Antoniterkirche, led by Pastor Markus Herzberg. According to [Kirche Köln](https://www.kirche-koeln.de/mit Feiern-erntedankfest-in-den-evangelischen-kirchengemeinden-koelns/), there will be a delicious potato soup to accompany this. For everyone who cannot experience the service on site, a live stream is also offered on www.antonitercitykirche.de.

An open-air Thanksgiving festival will take place on September 21st at 11:00 a.m. in the Johanneskirche Klettenberg. On the following Sundays, October 5th, various congregations will host their own services:

• Christuskirche um 18:00 Uhr mit einer Begrüßung der neuen Konfirmanden.
• Lutherkirche um 11:30 Uhr mit einem Familiengottesdienst und Taufen.
• Johanneskirche Klettenberg um 10:00 Uhr mit Abendmahl und Frühstück.

As part of the Thanksgiving festival, food is also collected for social purposes. The harvest donations help to support those in need in the region. There will also be other events taking place in the next few weeks. These include the Tersteegenhaus on September 28th with daycare participation and the Emmauskirche Ehrenfeld, which is also hosting a family service with an autumn fire on September 28th.

Tradition and responsibility

Thanksgiving encourages you to think about your own dependence on nature and how to treat it carefully. This responsibility is emphasized in many church services. The festival is often accompanied by solidarity actions to combat hunger and poverty, which is an important aspect of the celebration and is deeply rooted in the festival's history, as Wikipedia notes.

Ultimately, Thanksgiving is not only a religious, but also a cultural highlight of the year that reminds us of man's relationship with nature and emphasizes respect for creation. In this way, we not only give thanks for the fruits of the earth, but also strengthen the community within the communities.