What is Thanksgiving Day?

What is Thanksgiving Day?

• Thanksgiving Day is an annual holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada. It is a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the United States, and Thanksgiving Day in Canada falls on the second Monday of October.
• In the United States, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. In Canada, it is observed on the second Monday of October. The precise origins of Thanksgivings are unknown, but it has been celebrated by various cultures for thousands of years.
• The earliest known celebration of thanksgivings in North America was held by Native Americans in what is now New England. This feast occurred long before the arrival of Europeans in North America. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is now considered one of the first Thanksgivings celebrations in North America.
• The tradition of Thanksgivings in North America was further codified in 1789 when President George Washington declared Thursday, November 26 a national day of thanksgiving to “promote the public welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to themselves and their posterity.”
• In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens,” to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26.

• During the American Civil War (1861- 1865), President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November as a national Day of Thanksgiving. This was done as an attempt to unify the country during a very difficult and divided time. It was also a way of giving thanks for the Union’s victories on the battlefield as well as Lincoln’s personal victories over his opponents.
• Since 1941, Thanksgiving Day has been celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of November.
• In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October and has been a statutory holiday since 1957. The origins of Canadian Thanksgiving can be traced back to the English explorer Martin Frobisher who, upon his return from a fruitless expedition to find a northwest passage to the Orient in 1578, held a formal ceremony to give thanks for surviving the long journey.
• In 1763, following the end of the Seven Years’ War, Governor James Murray of Quebec issued a proclamation inviting the people of the colony to celebrate Thanksgivings on April 15. This day was chosen because it coincided with the Feast of Annunciation, which commemorates the day when the Archangel Gabriel told Mary she would conceive and bear the Son of God.

• While Frobisher’s thanksgivings ceremony did not become an annual event. Other spontaneous celebrations were held in different parts of the country throughout the 18th century. It wasn’t until 1879 that Parliament declared Thanksgiving a national holiday.
• Thanksgiving in Canada began as a religious and civic event. To give thanks for various good fortune, including the end of droughts or successful harvests. The first recorded Canadian Thanksgiving occurred in 1578. When English explorer Martin Frobisher held a formal ceremony to give thanks for surviving the long journey.
• While Frobisher’s thanksgiving ceremony did not become an annual event. Other spontaneous celebrations were held in different parts of the country throughout the 18th century. It wasn’t until 1879 that Parliament declared Thanksgiving a national holiday.
• Canadian Thanksgiving is very similar to the American holiday, and both are now celebrated as secular and religious holidays. The main difference is the date; Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday of October. While in the United States it falls on the fourth Thursday of November.

Conclusion:

In North America, Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the good fortune and blessings that have been received. The holiday has roots in both religious and civic traditions. And is now celebrated as a secular and religious holiday in both Canada and the United States. The main difference between the two holidays is the date. Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday of October. While in the United States it falls on the fourth Thursday of November.

In conclusion, Thanksgiving is a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. It is a time to come together with family and friends to enjoy good food. And give thanks for all the good things in our lives.