WEEDSPORT - The Weedsport First Baptist Church and four other local churches came together Sunday to cross the denominational lines and give thanks for each other and the lives that they have been blessed with.

“There is a lot that is going on in the world, in our life,” said the Rev. Tom Cornell, of Weedsport First Baptist church, during the community Thanksgiving celebration held at the church Sunday evening. “Sometimes we forget to take a minute to give thanks.”

Each of the five churches shared with each other the way they give thanks during the holiday.

“You have got to have something that will bring you comfort,” said the Rev. James Carroll of Weedsport United Methodist church, as he explained the reason for the many different colorfully painted rocks that he carried in a bag. “Even if it is something that weighs you down.”

Carroll had a rock to symbolize his feelings, such as a green rock for envy or a red rock for anger. His rocks, as he explained to guests, could be left behind if they were to give their burdens to Jesus.

Guests themselves were given a small rock at the entrance of the celebration and were later asked to trade their burdens through this rock to Jesus and then would receive a smooth rock with a cross on it.

“The rock given at the door represents a burden that one might be carrying,” said the Rev. Debra Thomas of First Presbyterian Church in Weedsport. “By exchanging the rock for a smooth one, it is symbolic of giving your burdens away. It is symbolic of making things better in your life, finding a new start.”

But not every culture celebrates the Thanksgiving holiday in the same way or even at the same time of year, as guests learned from Fr. Eloo Malachy Nwosu of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Weedsport.

Nwosu moved to the United States five years ago from Nigeria, Africa.

“We do not give thanks in November but in August in Africa,” he said. “When we give thanks, it is with the harvest.”

Nwosu said that the African tradition is to bring three gifts to the house where you will be giving thanks.

The first gift is a special chalk that is used to mark the face to symbolize a friendly person. The second gift is the traditional kola nut, which is given as a way to tell someone that they are your friend, Nwosu said. The third gift is the presentation of a rooster for food to eat.

“African people like to sing and dance, and so we start with a song,” he said. “Then we give the gifts before we feed and eat. African people feed, eat and then get drunk. That is our Thanksgiving celebration.”