Thanksgiving Day is an annual national holiday in the United States and Canada, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. It is a day to give thanks for the harvest and other blessings of the past year. The American holiday is believed to be modeled on a 1621 harvest feast shared by the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people. The traditional fare of the Thanksgiving meal typically includes turkey, bread stuffing, potatoes, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. The holiday is also regarded as the beginning of the Christmas and holiday season, with the day following it, Black Friday, being the busiest shopping day of the year in the United States).
Thanksgiving Day did not become an official holiday until Northerners dominated the federal government. Sarah Josepha Hale, the editor of the popular magazine Godey’s Lady’s Book, campaigned for a national Thanksgiving Day to promote unity, and she finally won the support of President Abraham Lincoln. On October 3, 1863, during the Civil War, Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26. After a joint resolution of Congress in 1941, President Roosevelt issued a proclamation in 1942 designating the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day).
Days of thanksgiving in Canada also originated in the colonial period, arising from the same European traditions, in gratitude for safe journeys, peace, and bountiful harvests. The earliest celebration was held in 1578, when an expedition led by Martin Frobisher held a ceremony.
Thanksgiving is a time when many families come together, and many churches are open for special services. It is a cultural holiday that symbolizes peace, thankfulness, and the beginning of the holiday season. Most Americans consider the holiday a day to gather and express their thanks through food, family, and football. During some Thanksgiving celebrations, people write down what they are thankful for and then read aloud from the pieces of paper).
