What is Thanksgiving Day？
Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the United States. It is a day for giving thanks for the harvest and the blessings of the past year. The holiday is traditionally celebrated with a festive meal that often includes turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. It is a time for family gatherings, expressing gratitude, and reflecting on the positive aspects of life. The origins of Thanksgiving trace back to early colonial times, particularly the feast shared by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Native Americans in 1621.
When is Thanksgiving Day？
Thanksgiving Day is observed annually on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. This date was established by federal legislation in 1941 and has remained the official date for the holiday ever since.
Traditional Activities of Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving Dinner
The centerpiece of Thanksgiving celebrations is the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. A typical menu includes roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, and dinner rolls. For dessert, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and apple pie are popular choices. Many families involve the entire family in food preparation as a bonding activity.
Giving Thanks
Expressing gratitude is a central theme of Thanksgiving. Families often go around the table and share what they are thankful for. Some traditions include:
Saying a Thanksgiving prayer or reciting a Thanksgiving poem to bless the food
Writing thank-you notes to loved ones
Starting a gratitude jar to collect notes of thankfulness throughout the year
Volunteering at soup kitchens, community centers, or food banks to give back to the community
Family Bonding Activities
Families engage in various activities to bond and create memories together on Thanksgiving:
Playing board games or card games
Watching Thanksgiving movies
Competing in ping pong or other tournaments
Taking a post-meal walk or bike ride
Flipping through old family photos and watching home movies
Shopping
Black Friday Preparations: Although not part of Thanksgiving Day itself, many people prepare for Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, which is known for its major sales and shopping deals. Some stores even start their sales on Thanksgiving evening.
The History of Thanksgiving Day
Early Celebrations
The concept of giving thanks for a bountiful harvest predates the establishment of Thanksgiving as a holiday. Various cultures, including Indigenous peoples, held harvest festivals long before European settlers arrived.
One of the earliest recorded Thanksgiving-like celebrations by Europeans in North America occurred in 1619 when English settlers arrived at Berkeley Hundred in Virginia. They held a day of thanksgiving as mandated by their charter, marking it as a day of gratitude to God for their safe arrival.