History of thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the United States, and Thanksgiving 2020 occurs on Thursday, November 26. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It was considered until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.
Thanksgiving Traditions
In many American households, the Thanksgiving celebration has lost much of its original religious significance; Instead, it now centers on cooking and sharing a bountiful meal with family and friends. Turkey, a Thanksgiving staple so ubiquitous it has become all but synonymous with the holiday, may or may not have been on offer when the Pilgrims hosted the inaugural feast in 1621. Today, however, nearly 90 percent of Americans eat the bird — whether roasted , baked or deep-fried — on Thanksgiving, according to the National Turkey Federation. Other traditional foods include stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Volunteering is a common Thanksgiving Day activity, and communities often hold food drives and host free dinners for the less fortunate.
Parades have also become an integral part of the holiday in cities and towns across the United States. Presented by Macy’s department store since 1924, New York City’s Thanksgiving Day parade is the largest and most famous, attracting some 2 to 3 million spectators along its 2.5-mile route and drawing an enormous television audience. It typically features marching bands, performers, elaborate floats conveying various celebrities and giant balloons shaped like cartoon characters.
Beginning in the mid-20th century and perhaps even earlier, the president of the United States has "pardoned" one or two Thanksgiving turkeys each year, sparing the birds from slaughter and sending them to a farm for retirement. A number of U.S. governors also perform the annual turkey pardoning ritual.
Pilgrims held their second Thanksgiving celebration in 1623 to mark the end of a long drought that had threatened the caution harvest and prompted Governor Bradford to call for a religious fast. Days of fasting and thanksgiving on an annual or occasional basis became common practice in other New England settlements as well.
During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress designated one or more days of thanksgiving a year, and in 1789 George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation by the national government of the United States; in it, he called upon Americans to express their gratitude for the happy conclusion to the country's war of independence and the successful ratification of the U.S. Constitution. His successors John Adams and James Madison also designated days of thanks during their presidencies.
In 1817, New York became the first of several states to officially adopt an annual Thanksgiving holiday; Each celebrated it on a different day, however, and the American South remained largely unfamiliar with the tradition.
In 1827, the noted magazine editor and prolific writer Sarah Josepha Hale — author, among countless other things, of the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb” —launched a campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. For 36 years, she published numerous editorials and sent scores of letters to governors, senators, presidents and other politicians, earning her the nickname the "Mother of Thanksgiving."
HARVEST HOME OR THANKSGIVING?
In a letter from "E.W." (Edward Winslow) to a friend in England, he says: "And God be praised, we had a good increase…. Our harvest being gained in, our governor sent four men on fowling that so we might after a special manner rejoice together…. ” Winslow continues, "These things I thought good to let you understand… that you might on our behalf give God thanks who hath dealt so favorably with us."
In 1622, without his approval, Winslow's letter was printed in a pamphlet that historians usually call mort's Relation. This published description of the First Thanksgiving was lost during the Colonial period. It was rediscovered in Philadelphia around 1820. Antiquarian Alexander Young included the entire text in his Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers (1841). Reverend Young saw a similarity between his contemporary American Thanksgiving and the 1621 Harvest Feast. In the footnotes that accompanied Winslow’s letter, Young writes, “This was the first Thanksgiving, the harvest festival of New England. On this occasion they no doubt feasted on the wild turkey as well as venison. "
PURITAN HOLIDAY
The American Thanksgiving also has its origin in the faith practices of Puritan New England, where strict Calvinist doctrine sanctioned only the Sabbath, fast days and thanksgivings as religious holidays or "holy days." To the Puritans, a true “thanksgiving” was a day of prayer and pious humiliation, thanking God for His special providence. Auspicious events, such as the sudden ending of war, drought or pestilence, might inspire a thanksgiving proclamation. It was like having an extra Sabbath during the week. Fasts and thanksgivings never fell on a Sunday. In the early 1600s, they were not annual events. Simultaneously instituted in Plymouth, Connecticut and Massachusetts, Thanksgiving became a regular event by the middle of the 17th century and it was proclaimed each autumn by the individual Colonies.
When is Thanksgiving Day and why is it celebrated?
| Thanksgiving | |
|---|---|
| Name(s): | Thanksgiving |
| Type: | Federal Holiday |
| When: | Fourth Thursday of November (U.S.) Second Monday of October (Canada) |
Thanksgiving Day for the year 2021 is celebrated/ observed on Thursday, November 25th.
Thanksgiving Day in the United States is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year. Traditionally it is a time to give thanks for all the sacrifice and hard work done for the harvest. In modern times people take time off work (4 day weekend starting Thursday) and spend time with family and friends over a large feast held on Thanksgiving Day.
Thanksgiving in the early days of the United States was celebrated on a variety of dates and eventually Abraham Lincoln in 1863 with help from Sarah Josepha Hale [1] decided Thanksgiving should be on the final Thursday in November. Later, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the day into law [2] making the day officially celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.
Thanksgiving around the world
In Canada, they celebrate Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October. Liberia celebrates the day on the first Thursday of November and Saint Lucia the first Monday in October and finally Grenada celebrates on October 25th each year.
Days to Thanksgiving 2021
Thursday, November 25th is day number 329 of the 2021 calendar year with 1 year, 2 months, 7 days until Thanksgiving Day 2021.
Dates for Thanksgiving
When is Thanksgiving Day and why is it celebrated?
| Holiday | Date | Days to Go |
|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving 2019 | Thursday, November 28, 2019 | -295 |
| Thanksgiving 2020 | Thursday, November 26, 2020 | 69 |
| Thanksgiving 2021 | Thursday, November 25, 2021 | 433 |
| Thanksgiving 2022 | Thursday, November 24, 2022 | 797 |
| Thanksgiving 2023 | Thursday, November 23, 2023 | 1161 |
| Thanksgiving 2024 | Thursday, November 28, 2024 | 1532 |
Thanksgiving Messages: What to Write in a Thanksgiving Card
- Happy Thanksgiving!
- Happy Thanksgiving Day!
- Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
- Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
- May all the good things of life be yours, not only at Thanksgiving but throughout the coming year.
- Our homes may be far apart, but our hearts are as close as always.
- There have been times when I forgot to thank you for being there for me. I take this day to tell you how special you are and how great my life has become because of you. Have a memorable Thanksgiving.
- Thanksgiving is more than the festivities, it gives us time to ponder upon what lessons we learnt and how we can spread happiness around, to look back at all the great memories and good people who came into our lives. We appreciate you so much. Happy Thanksgiving Day to you and your loved ones.
- At this time of Thanksgiving celebration, our thoughts turn gratefully to you with warm appreciation. Our best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving.
- Being a family means you are part of something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life. No matter what. Happy Thanksgiving!
- Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. Happy Thanksgiving to those closest to my heart.
Thanksgiving in Canada in 2021 | Office Holidays
Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October and is an official statutory holiday, except in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
In Nova Scotia, Thanksgiving is a Designated Retail Closing Day. This means under the Retail Business Designated Day Closing Act, some retail businesses are prohibited from opening, but it is not a paid holiday.
Traditions of Canadian Thanksgiving
On Thanksgiving, Canadians give thanks for a successful year and harvest.
The Thanksgiving holiday tradition in Canada dates back to when the English explorer, Martin Frobisher, came upon the land we now know as Canada while searching for a Northern passage to the Orient.
thanksgiving canada
When Frobisher arrived in Canada on his third voyage in 1578, he held a formal ceremony where he gave thanks for surviving the long journey - one of his ships had been lost on the way. Frobisher celebrated with salt beef and peas. South of the border, it would be another 43 years before the Pilgrims sat down to celebrate their first Thanksgiving meal.Apart from taking place years before its American counterpart, Canadian thanksgiving also takes place over a month earlier. One reason is that the harvest season starts earlier in the more northerly Canada than it does in the US.
Thanksgiving became a nationally recognised holiday in Canada in 1879. The date of the holiday has moved around a few times since then, and settled on the current date in 1957.
Today, it is celebrated by gathering with loved ones and preparing the Thanksgiving Day meal, which usually includes turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and many other dishes. There are often regional variations on the meal. For instance, Newfoundlanders might hark back to Frobisher's original feast and serve Jiggs' dinner, a boiled meat dish often paired with a split-pea pudding. Instead of pumpkin pie, Ontarians often serve butter tarts, bite-sized pastry shells stuffed with a syrupy filling.
In the regions where Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated, most government offices will be closed and so will many local amenities. Public transport is likely to run on a holiday or Sunday schedule. Banks will be closed along with the Toronto Stock Exchange.
In New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, where the day isn't a holiday, employers aren't required to pay their employees for the day off so families often celebrate their thanksgiving on the Sunday before instead.
thanksgiving side dishes
Classic Thanksgiving Side Dishes To Make For The Holiday. 1 of 85. Green Bean Casserole. 2 of 85. Candied Yams. 3 of 85. Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows. 4 of 85. Perfect Mashed Potatoes. 5 of 85. Classic Stuffing. 6 of 85. Cornbread. 7 of 85. Fresh Cranberry Relish. 8 of 85. Cheesy Brussels Sprout Bake.
thanksgiving dinner
The best Thanksgiving side dishes for Turkey Day! With green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, stuffing & more, you're sure to find recipes you love.