Thanksgiving, without a doubt, is one of the most popular festivals in the USA. Thanksgiving dinner is one of the big events for every family. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year.
If you wanted to know more about this national holiday, then go through the guide we have curated for you. Our guide tells you everything about this festival, including its origin, significance, and history.
What is Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is one of the secular holidays that is non-denominational. It started as a harvest festival. The festival was an occasion to celebrate the harvest and people would celebrate with their newly harvested produce. They would cook an array of dishes and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with family members.
Later on, the festival became an occasion to thank all those who played a key part in our lives. The festival would be used to thank loved ones including family and friends. It was an occasion where people would show gratitude to all those who helped them. The thanks would be offered by sharing a great dinner with loved ones.
How did it start?
Thanksgiving is celebrated in countries across the world and each country has its own tradition. Every country has its own harvest festival celebrated at different times of the year. There are also Thanksgiving festivals celebrated to commemorate special occasions or people. In the United States, the origin of Thanksgiving can be traced back to 1621.
The place was Plymouth in Massachusetts. When the Mayflower arrived in 1620, 46 of the original 102 colonists died. But they persevered and were able to survive their first winter. In the next summer of 1621, they got a very good harvest. This was made possible due to the help of the Wampanoag Indians.
To celebrate the bountiful harvest, the pilgrims organized a harvest festival. The festival went on for 3 days. The main aim of this Thanksgiving was to thank the natives for their support. This claim is disputed because there has always been strife between the natives and the settlers. Another version says the English settlers brought this tradition with them.
The celebrations were done in individual colonies and states for more than two centuries. The credit for converting it into a national festival goes to Abraham Lincoln. In 1863, President Lincoln announced that Thanksgiving would be held as a national festival and celebrated on the final Thursday of November.
Thanksgiving was thus celebrated as a national festival every year. Later on, in 1939 President Roosevelt advanced the festival by a week but was forced to change his decision 2 years later. Another tradition started in the 20th century of pardoning the turkey. The American President would pardon a couple of turkeys that would be saved from slaughter and retire to a farm.
How is the festival celebrated?
Most people do the following activities to celebrate Thanksgiving:
- The Thanksgiving parade in New York is one of the highlights of the festival. The parade has helium balloons, floats, and bands walking through the city. People of New York throng to attend the parade. Others watch it live on TV.
- People go to grocery stores in the morning to buy supplies. They need to do this because stores are closed in the second half.
- People watch the Presidential pardon which is usually aired live on TV.
- Delicious dishes are cooked and the table is laid out as family and friends join for lunch.
- People watch American football on TV and then sit to eat lunch. Turkey is on the menu and people enjoy a sumptuous meal.
- At the end of the day, once again an enjoyable dinner is enjoyed. Turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie is part of the meals in most homes.
- The next day is Black Friday followed by Cyber Sunday. These are days for shopping where people buy things they have been wanting to buy all year.
Some interesting Thanksgiving facts
- Interestingly, turkey was not on the menu for the first Thanksgiving. There was also no pumpkin pie or cranberry sauce.
- Sarah Josepha Hale is called the mother of Thanksgiving. The lady who wrote ‘Mary had a little lamb’ was the one who wrote a series of letters requesting President Lincoln to declare a national holiday.
- It is estimated that on average people consume 4,500 calories on this day.
- The football tradition on Thanksgiving started in 1876.
- Harry Truman was the first President to pardon a turkey.
- More than 50 million Americans travel on this day to different destinations.
Thanksgiving stock photos via Megapixl