The fourth Thursday in November is the traditional American holiday Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving).
This is a time for family reunion, eating turkey dinner together, and sharing precious time. Many people will also take this opportunity to reflect on and appreciate the positive aspects of life.
Thanksgiving also kicked off the next Christmas, marking the beginning of the Christmas holiday.
Why do Americans celebrate Thanksgiving? When is the first Thanksgiving? Must I eat turkey on Thanksgiving?
When is the first Thanksgiving?
It is traditionally believed that the first Thanksgiving Day-the celebration of a bumper harvest-began in 1621. At that time, early English settlers at the Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts invited the aboriginal neighbors to share dinner.
However, historian Michael Gannon believes that the first Thanksgiving celebration in the United States actually took place in Florida half a century earlier than this date.
Gannon said that on September 8, 1565, after the religious ceremony, the Spaniards shared food with the local aboriginal tribes.
When does Thanksgiving become a public holiday?
According to the National Archives of the United States, on September 28, 1789, the first US Congress passed a resolution requiring the President of the United States to propose a Thanksgiving holiday.
A few days later, President Washington issued a proclamation, naming November 26, 1789 (Thursday) as “Public Thanksgiving”-this is the first time Thanksgiving has been celebrated under the new constitution.
The following Thanksgiving Day dates were different after the President’s rotation, until President Lincoln issued a declaration in 1863 during the American Civil War, designating the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day.
Why has the Thanksgiving date changed?
The National Archives and Records Administration said that the last Thursday of November 1939 happened to be the last day of November. The then President of the United States Roosevelt was worried about this. He worried that this would shorten the Christmas shopping season and adversely affect the economic recovery.
Therefore, he issued a presidential decree to move Thanksgiving to the penultimate Thursday of November.
Subsequently, 32 states in the United States made similar announcements, but 16 states also refused to accept the change. As a result, there were two Thanksgiving Days in the following 2 years.
In order to end this chaotic situation, the United States Congress established a fixed holiday for Thanksgiving on October 6, 1941: Congress passed a joint resolution declaring the last Thursday of November as a legal Thanksgiving holiday.
When will the first Messi Thanksgiving Day parade start?
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been held every year since 1924, and is broadcast nationwide by NBC (National Broadcasting Corporation).
That year, Strauss, owner of the Macy’s department store, organized a 6-mile (nearly 10 kilometers) Thanksgiving parade from Harlem to Pioneer Square, where the Macy’s department store is located.
There are also many animals from New York’s Central Park in the parade, including elephants. The parade route at that time was almost three times longer than it is today: for television broadcast, the parade route was later shortened to 2.5 miles.
Is turkey always eaten on Thanksgiving?
Nowadays, the traditional American Thanksgiving meal is usually turkey, but this was not always the case in the past.
According to History.com, on the first Thanksgiving Day in 1621, Native Americans killed 5 deer as gifts to the new colonists, which means that venison is most likely the main course of the day.
Why did the US president pardon turkey?
Every Thanksgiving, the President of the United States will “pardon” a turkey and send it to a farm where it will live a lifetime. Contrary to popular belief, US President George W. Bush in 1989 was not the first president to start this tradition.
According to the White House, this tradition can be traced back to the time of President Lincoln. At that time, Lincoln’s son Tad asked Lincoln to write a presidential pardon, pardoning the turkey that was about to become a Chinese dish at home. He said that this turkey had the right to survive like anyone else.
Lincoln followed his son’s advice, and the turkey survived.
The tradition of watching American football on Thanksgiving
Every Thanksgiving, millions of Americans also like to watch the Detroit Lions American football. This tradition can be traced back to 1934, when the Detroit Lions challenged the ever-defeated defending champion Chicago Bears.
Despite losing the first game, the Detroit Lions have played football every Thanksgiving every year, except during World War II in 1939-1944.