The first 132 pilgrims and crew that arrived aboard the May Flower in the summer of 1620 were Puritans. After surviving the harsh winter conditions of Plymouth, Massachusetts, the following year in the fall they wanted to thank God and everyone who helped them, which included local Native Americans at a Thanksgiving Dinner. They had to decide the meat item on the dinner table. They preferred something they did not eat usually, such as beef or chicken or pork. They decided to serve turkey. Four hundred years ago, the Puritans had strict dietary habits. They were eating a particular type of meat on a particular day of the week. Since turkey is a bird, they could eat it on Thursday only, the day designated for the chicken. That was how Thanksgiving Day became associated with Thursdays.
The ceremony dates back to the 1940s, with presidents occasionally sparing the bird presented to them; during the Presidency of George H. W. Bush, it became a tradition (since carried on by all of Bush’s successors) for the president to issue a “pardon” to the turkey, sparing the turkey’s life.
In the beginning Thanksgiving Day was observed on the last Thursday of November. President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving Day a national day. President Roosevelt changed it to the fourth Thursday of November. It is a national holiday, celebrated with fun and frolic all over US.
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, sometimes called Canadian Thanksgiving to distinguish it from the American holiday of the same name, is an annual Canadian holiday, occurring on the second Monday in October, which celebrates the harvest and other blessings of the past year. Although Thanksgiving isn’t recognised as a national holiday in India, several feasts at various times throughout the year convey the theme of giving thanks, such as Onam, celebrated in South India, and Vaisakhi, celebrated in Punjab and Haryana. They celebrate the good harvest gift from the nature.
The Harvest Festival of Thanksgiving does not have an official date in the United Kingdom; however, it is traditionally held on or near the Sunday of the harvest moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox. When the harvest was finally collected, communities would come together for a harvest supper.
At the same date as in Canada, the Germans celebrate their Thanksgiving (Erntedankfest). During the celebration, which is usually held in a church but also regionally as a procession, crops, cereals, and fruit are decoratively arranged.
Labour Thanksgiving Day (勤労感謝の日, Kinrō Kansha no Hi) is a national holiday in Japan celebrated on November 23rd of each year, unless that day falls on a Sunday, in which case the holiday is moved to Monday.
Europeans Don’t Celebrate Thanksgiving, But They Love Black Friday Sales.
Happy Thanksgiving Day to all my friends.
