Thanksgiving Holiday

Thanksgiving - A History

Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. It is a holiday celebrated primarily in Canada and the United States. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Thanksgiving dinner is held on this day, usually as a gathering of family members and friends. Here are some interesting facts about Thanksgiving: (1) The first formally declared Day of Thanksgiving was June 29, 1676, and (2) President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November to be Thanksgiving Day. How about that!

Thanksgiving is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in America. All across the country, millions of Americans stuff turkeys, decorate the dinner table, and give thanks to God for a variety of things. Of particular interest to non-Americans and native Americans alike, is its history.

Now celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, Thanksgiving was officially declared this date of celebration by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939. However it wasn't until a year later, that President Roosevelt signed this declaration into US law. Today, Thanksgiving is also known as Turkey Day (from the traditional Thanksgiving dinner), T-Day (abbreviation for "Thanksgiving" or "Turkey"), or Macy's Day (in reference to Macy's Thanksgiving day parade). T-Day from its very conception began way back in the 1600s when Pilgrims held a three-day feast to celebrate their survival and harvest of their first winter in North America.

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From its conception, Thanksgiving has always been a family ordeal, celebrated with a feast of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce. For dessert, pumpkin pie and/or pecan pie is usually enjoyed. Of course, variations of how these dishes are served are found in secular parts of the country and within each culture. Some people like to include oysters in their Thanksgiving stuffing, for example, while others like to eat duck instead of turkey. In Louisiana, some folks like to cook a stuffed duck inside of a stuffed turkey! Vegetarians may eat tofurkey, which is a creative way of serving tofu - a strategy that may or may not contribute the to the fact that over forty-four millions turkeys are eaten every year!

But feasting isn't the only activity associated with Thanksgiving. On this holiday, millions of Americans travel for miles to be with family and friends. They attend the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in Manhattan or watch it on tv (other cities often have their own parades as well). They also watch football - a new tradition associated with Thanksgiving. And the National Turkey Federation presents the President of the United States with three turkeys: one living turkey and two cooked ones. The live turkey is pardoned from its past crimes and goes on to live an "uncooked" life. Other people may use the time (a four-day holiday) to travel or take a cruise.

Interestingly, not all Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. In 1947, a group of Native Americans protested the holiday in Massachusetts, and some other groups continue to mark this holiday as a blooper in American history. Other cultures may celebrate their own version of Thanksgiving and participate in cultural activities specific to their heritage, while cooking foods that are native to their origins. Nevertheless, thanksgiving is regarded as one of the most important holidays in North America.

Thanksgiving Holiday 2009 - History, Gifts, Decorations, Parade, Travel and Cruises