In the US, Thanksgiving is usually a celebration of family and food. American students are frequently taught that the Pilgrims, who assisted in founding Plymouth Colony in what is now Massachusetts in 1620, are responsible for the practice.
According to the legend, helpful Native Americans showed the hapless colonists how to survive in what the Europeans called the “New World.” Then, in 1621, everyone gathered for a feast to commemorate the occasion.
The “first” American Thanksgiving would be celebrated 401 years from now on Thanksgiving in 2022. However, Thanksgiving feasts have existed long before Plymouth, and the day’s commemorated peace was shaky.
The History and Tradition
The first Thanksgiving proclamation from the federal government of the United States was made by George Washington in 1789. During their terms in office, John Adams and James Madison declared days of gratitude as well. Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Theodore Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, and Richard Nixon all agreed.
Hale, the creator of the children’s rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” began a push to make Thanksgiving a federal holiday in 1827. She penned a ton of editorials over the course of 36 years and wrote a ton of letters pushing governors, senators, presidents, and other elected officials to observe Thanksgiving Day. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln at last complied with her request.
Although Thanksgiving may have had religious overtones in the past, it is now primarily a secular celebration. The majority of Americans view the holiday as a time to come together and give thanks over food, family, and football. During some Thanksgiving festivities, people jot down their gratitudes on paper, which they then read aloud.
The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, which draws between 2 and 3 million spectators along its 2.5-mile course and a sizable television viewership, is another way to mark the day. Marching bands, performers, ornate floats carrying various celebrities, and enormous balloons in the style of cartoon characters are frequently included.
Turkey has practically come to represent the holiday. Nearly 90% of Americans consume turkey on Thanksgiving Day, whether it is roasted, baked, or deep-fried, according to the National Turkey Federation. Stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie are further typical dishes.
The president of the United States has “pardoned” one or two Thanksgiving turkeys every year from the start of the mid-20th century, saving the animals from being killed and transferring them to a farm for retirement.
Other nations that observe the holiday of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is observed in Canada on the second Monday of October, whereas it is observed in Liberia on the first Thursday of November.
