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 Observances
Americans generally consider their Thanksgiving to be inspired by a 1621 harvest feast shared between the Pilgrims—European colonists of Plymouth—and the Wampanoag people. Early colonists in New England and Canada frequently held "thanksgivings," which were days of prayer expressing gratitude for safe journeys, military successes, or plentiful harvests.
Meanwhile, Canadians trace their earliest Thanksgiving celebration back to 1578, when explorer Martin Frobisher held a ceremony to give thanks for a safe voyage.
Modern Celebration Dates
- In the United States, Thanksgiving Day is observed on the fourth Thursday of November, as established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1941 and a proclamation by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
- Since 1957, Canada has celebrated Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October.
Traditions and Customs
Family and friends in both countries come together to share a meal and celebrate. In the U.S., traditional dishes often 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 celebrates gratitude for the year's blessings with origins in historic harvest feasts and is marked by family gatherings and traditional meals in both the U.S. and Canada.
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