Thanksgiving Day: Meaning, History, and Facts
Thanksgiving Day is an annual national holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada, honoring the harvest and other blessings from the past year.
Origins and Historical Background
Many Americans believe their Thanksgiving tradition is based on a 1621 harvest feast shared by the Pilgrims, European colonists in Plymouth, and the Wampanoag people.
Early colonists in New England and Canada observed days of thanksgiving, which were days of prayer expressing gratitude for safe journeys, military victories, or successful harvests.
Canadians trace their earliest Thanksgiving celebration to 1578, when explorer Martin Frobisher held a ceremony to give thanks for a safe passage.
Modern Celebrations and Dates
- In the United States, Thanksgiving Day is observed on the fourth Thursday of November, following a law passed by Congress in 1941 and a proclamation by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
- Since 1957, Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October.
Traditions and Customs
In both countries, Thanksgiving is a time when family and friends come together to share a meal and celebrate.
Typical American dishes for Thanksgiving include turkey, cranberries, and pumpkin pie.
"Americans model their holiday on a 1621 harvest feast shared between the Wampanoag people and the English colonists known as Pilgrims."
Author’s summary: Thanksgiving Day is a historic holiday in the US and Canada, celebrated annually to honor gratitude with shared meals rooted in early harvest festivals and traditions.
More News
- Gill Cleared! Gambhir Says He's Ready to Go
- Column: Toy drive for Mutual Ground stirs memories of Aurora City Council member’s own traumatic childhood
- Suryakumar Yadav becomes Mumbai's top T20 scorer
- Ground stop at Hartsfield-Jackson ended but delays continue
- ‘It would take 11 seconds to hit the ground’: the roughneck daredevils who built the Empire State Building
- The journey continues: Courtois shines at San Mamés
- 10 Slow-Paced Towns In Idaho Where You Can Live Peacefully, Happily, And Debt-Free
- Evidence of burial ground at Tuam mother and baby home
- Suryakumar Yadav Becomes Mumbai's Highest T20 Run-Scorer