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Thanksgiving is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, and it is a day for expressing gratitude, often marked by a large meal featuring turkey and other traditional dishes. The holiday has its origins in a 1621 harvest festival and was established as a national holiday by President Lincoln in 1863.
Origin and history:
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- 1621 Harvest Feast: The holiday’s popular origins trace back to a 1621 feast shared by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people to celebrate a successful harvest.
- Presidential Proclamations: George Washington issued the first national Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789, followed by others, but it did not become a regular holiday.
- National Holiday: President Abraham Lincoln, in 1863, proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national Thanksgiving Day, largely to help unify the country during the Civil War.
- Uniform Date: In 1941, Congress and FDR fixed the date of the Thanksgiving holiday to the fourth Thursday of November.
Traditions and celebrations:
- Feast: A large meal is central to the celebration, most notably a roast turkey, with common side dishes including stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.
- Gratitude: A core part of the holiday is expressing gratitude for blessings, sometimes by sharing things one is thankful for with family and friends.
- Wishbone: A common tradition is to break the turkey’s wishbone, with the belief that the person who gets the larger piece will have their wish granted.
- Other activities: Many people also enjoy activities like watching football or listening to Christmas music to start the holiday season.
