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"Thanksgiving Day is the one
day that is purely American." said O. Henry.
Thanksgiving Day, which is also known as the Turkey Day
is a North American festival celebrated on second Monday
of October in Canada and on the last Thursday of
November in United States. What's interesting is that
the original "Thanksgiving" is celebrated in Canada
first before the pilgrims celebrated in America.
The first official Thanksgiving Day dates back to 1578
when the English explorer Martin Frobisher held a
ceremony and feast after establishing a settlement in
the province now called Newfoundland and Labrador. It
was organized to give thanks to God for surviving the
long journey. In 1957, the Canadian Parliament declared
second Monday of October as a Thanksgiving holiday for
“General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful
harvest with which Canada has been blessed."
History of Thanksgiving started in the United States in
1621. It is said to be the year in which the first
Thanksgiving Feast was held. In 1620, a group of around
hundred people crossed the Atlantic to the New World for
their new settlement. These were the pilgrims from
Europe who wanted religious freedom. They settled their
colony in Plymouth in Massachusetts. When the pilgrims
arrived in North America at the onset of winter, they
faced a difficult time. It was a new land to them and it
was not the time to grow crops. Nearly half the settlers
died of diseases. When spring came, Native Americans
taught the settlers how to sow crops, hunt and fish. It
is said that the pilgrims were particularly grateful to Squanto and Samoset who were from the Patuxet tribe and
Abenaki tribe respectively.
During the Autumn of 1621, the colonists were blessed
with bountiful of corn, barley and other crops. To show
their gratitude, they called for a feast where they
invited the local tribe leader along with other Native
Americans. The brought roasted deers and turkeys and
other wild games were learned by the colonists.
In the following years, Thanksgiving Day was celebrated
with a feast to thank god for the nature's bounty. In
1777, the first official Thanksgiving Proclamation made
in America was issued by the Continental Congress.
George Washington, the first President of independent
America suggested November 26th as Thanksgiving Day.
After the civil war however, Abraham Lincoln declared
Thanksgiving a Federal holiday as a "prayerful day of
Thanksgiving" on the last Thursday in November. Later
President Roosevelt suggested the fourth Thursday as the
official Thanksgiving Day which was later approved by
the Congress.
From then onwards, Thanksgiving Day or Turkey Day is
marked as a day to have a grand feast comprising of
turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and other
delicacies with family and loved ones.
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