Thanksgiving is celebrated mainly to give thanks for the blessings of the past year—things like food, family, health, and community—and to share a special meal together.
Historical roots
The holiday grew out of European and Indigenous harvest celebrations, where communities marked the end of the growing season by expressing gratitude for a successful harvest. In the United States, a 1621 harvest feast shared by English colonists in Plymouth and the Wampanoag people later became a symbolic origin story, though real history was more complex and involved ongoing conflict and colonization.
National holiday meaning
In the U.S., Thanksgiving evolved into a national holiday focused on thanking God or expressing general gratitude for “the blessings of the year,” including peace, prosperity, and family life. Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving in 1863 during the Civil War to promote unity and a shared sense of national purpose, and it was later fixed to the fourth Thursday of November.
Modern reasons to celebrate
Today, people celebrate Thanksgiving for several common reasons:
- To gather with family and friends and strengthen relationships over a shared meal.
- To pause and reflect on what they are thankful for—health, home, opportunities, or community.
- To enjoy cultural traditions such as specific foods, parades, and sports that have grown around the holiday.
Indigenous perspectives
For many Native Americans, Thanksgiving is also a reminder of the violence, land loss, and broken promises that followed early encounters like those in the 1600s, so the day can carry pain as well as reflection. Some Indigenous people and allies use the day to honor Native resilience, educate others about history, and call for justice, rather than—or alongside—celebrating.
