Thanksgiving, the fourth Thursday of November every year, is a holiday that allows people to give thanks for the blessings received in the past year. Thanksgiving has become a normal thing to do, but have you ever been curious as to why we celebrate it and its traditions? And why on a specific occasion each year?
To understand Thanksgiving, we have to go all the way back to the beginning: 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In 1621, Thanksgiving wasn’t classified as a holiday yet, nor was the 3-day harvest celebration between English colonists and members of the Wampanoag tribe known as Thanksgiving at all. Originally, the first Thanksgiving was to celebrate a successful harvest.
In attendance, there were 52 colonists and about 92 Wampanoag people. They shared meals like venison, waterfowl, seafood, etc. Unlike modern Thanksgiving, there was no such thing as pumpkin pie or mashed potatoes (What Food Was Actually Served at the First Thanksgiving).
So, where did the idea of “thankfulness” come from when it comes to Thanksgiving? It may originally have been about thankfulness for a strong harvest, compared to now where it’s celebrated because of thankfulness for what you have altogether.
In 1863, Abraham made a proclamation during the Civil War to officially make Thanksgiving a modern holiday, which solidified the modern idea of Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln).
Abraham Lincoln called for a day of “thanksgiving and prayer”, and it helped Americans to give thanks for their blessings and pray over those who are in war.
In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed papers, officially making Thanksgiving a nationally celebrated holiday on the fourth Thursday of November.
While Thanksgiving began with American colonists and the Wampanoag Tribe, over time it became a holiday primarily focused on giving thanks within religions or just in general, like for family, friends, and more. No matter how you celebrate Thanksgiving, it’s a fun holiday to be grateful and celebrate all of the blessings and things you have in your life.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
