Thanksgiving Traditions

Thanksgiving Traditions – History-Facts-Origin

Popular Thanksgiving Traditions In America – Food, Family, Decorations, and Activities

Thanksgiving in America often revolves around food, family, decorations, and fun activities. Here’s a list of some of the most popular Thanksgiving Traditions:

Thanksgiving Food Traditions:

• Roasted Turkey: The centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal, roasted turkey is a must-have on the dinner table.
• Stuffing: A seasoned mixture of cornbread, vegetables, and herbs cooked inside the turkey or separately.
• Mashed Potatoes: Creamy, buttery mashed potatoes are a classic side dish.
• Gravy: Rich, savory gravy is poured over the turkey and sides.
• Cranberry Sauce: Either homemade or canned, cranberry sauce complements the meal.
• Pumpkin Pie: A Thanksgiving dessert staple made from spiced pumpkin filling baked in a pie crust.
• Sweet Potato Casserole: A sweet dish usually topped with marshmallows or pecans.
• Green Bean Casserole: Fresh green beans in a creamy mushroom sauce, topped with crispy onions.

Thanksgiving Decorating Traditions:

• Autumnal Decor: Many decorate their homes with fall-themed items like pumpkins, gourds, and leaves.
• Cornucopia: A horn-shaped basket filled with fruits and vegetables, symbolizing abundance.
• Thanksgiving Centerpieces: Beautiful table arrangements featuring fall flowers and foliage.
• Candles: Warm, scented candles add a cozy ambiance to the Thanksgiving dinner table.
• Getting a Christmas Tree: Many families kick off the Christmas season by going out to buy a fresh Christmas tree or even harvesting one from a tree farm.
• Tree Decorating: Once the Christmas tree is in place, families often gather to decorate it with ornaments, lights, and garlands.
• These Christmas-related decorating traditions often overlap with the Thanksgiving Tradition, as many people use the long Thanksgiving weekend to kickstart their holiday preparations.

Family Thanksgiving Traditions:

• Turkey Trot: Participating in a local “Turkey Trot” run or walk on Thanksgiving morning.
• Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: A televised parade featuring giant balloons and marching bands.
• Football: Watching football games on TV or playing touch football games with family and friends.
• Sharing What You’re Thankful For: Many families go around the table, expressing gratitude for the past year’s blessings.
• Volunteer Work: Some families participate in community service or charity work to give back.
• Family Photos: Capturing memorable moments and group photos with loved ones.

General Thanksgiving Traditions:

• Black Friday Shopping: Some people kick off the holiday shopping season by taking advantage of Black Friday Sales the day after Thanksgiving.
• Friendsgiving: Celebrating with friends in addition to or instead of family.
• Parades and Local Events: Communities often host local Thanksgiving events, like craft fairs, festivals, and parades.
• Post-Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turning Thanksgiving leftovers into creative dishes in the days following the holiday.
• Fall Crafts and Activities: Engaging in seasonal crafts or outdoor activities like hiking or apple-picking.

These traditions vary from family to family and region to region, but they all contribute to the warmth and spirit of Thanksgiving Traditions in America.

Timeline And Origins Of The Thanksgiving Tradition

• 1610
  • After a harsh winter, the Jamestown, Virginia Colonists held a Thanksgiving prayer service to give thanks for the arrival of English ships bringing much-needed supplies; this is sometimes considered the first Thanksgiving.
• 1621
  • The Pilgrims celebrated with the local Wampanoag tribe in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This three-day-long fall harvest celebration is considered to be the origin of the Thanksgiving we celebrate today in America.
• 1630
  • On July 08, Governor John Winthrop and Puritan settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in New England observed a day of prayer and Thanksgiving.
• 1775
  • The Boston Gazette and Country Journal published a proclamation for a public Thanksgiving. “We have thought fit to appoint Thursday the Twenty-third Day Of November to be observed as a Day of public Thanksgiving, throughout the colony”
• 1777
  • After the US victory in the battle of Saratoga, the continental congress recommended the colonies observe a day of Thanksgiving. Commander-in-chief George Washington issued general orders to set aside Thursday, December 18 for solemn Thanksgiving and Praise. The tradition of Thanksgiving and Praise continued through 1784.
• 1789
  • The first President of the United States, George Washington, proclaimed November 26th to be a day of national Thanksgiving and prayer after receiving congressional requests for such a decree.
• 1815
  • President James Madison proclaimed a national day of prayer and thanksgiving on April 13, after the end of the War of 1812. During the war, President Madison proclaimed three days of fasting and prayer in response to congressional requests (August 20, 1812, September 9, 1813, and January 12, 1815).
• 1846
  • Godey’s Lady’s Book editor, Sarah Hale, began a letter-writing campaign in 1827 to establish the last Thursday in November as a national Thanksgiving Day. In 1846, however, she moved beyond her readership and for the next 17 years directly petitioned state and federal officials.
• 1850
  •  Minnesota Territory Governor, Alexander Ramsey, proclaimed December 26, a day of thanks. Approximately 6,000 settlers in the territory celebrated this day of thanks.
• 1856
  • After being lost for almost 80 years, Puritan leader William Bradford’s 1650 manuscript “Of Plimoth Plantation,” was found. The document briefly mentions the Plymouth colony’s famous 1621 harvest celebration.
• 1861
  • During the first year of the Civil War, Union and Confederate troops celebrated a day of Thanksgiving on November 28. Both the Union and Confederate congresses called for days of Thanksgiving after key military victories throughout the war.
• 1863
  • As part of Sarah Hale’s seventeen-year campaign to establish Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday, on September 28 she wrote a letter to President Abraham Lincoln encouraging him to proclaim a national Thanksgiving Day.
  • On October 3 President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November to be Thanksgiving Day. The decree only technically affected the District of Columbia and federal employees. The holiday was annually proclaimed by every president thereafter, and the chosen date, with few exceptions, was the last Thursday in November.
• 1864
  • Lincoln issued a similar Day of Thanksgiving proclamation.
• 1865
  • Andrew Johnson assumed the presidency at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Andrew Johnson proclaimed the first Thursday in December as Thanksgiving Day.
• 1869
  • President Ulysses Grant proclaimed the third Thursday in November for Thanksgiving Day.
• 1921
  • A statue of the Wampanoag Indian leader Massasoit was erected in the community of Plymouth, Massachusetts. The inscription on the statue reads, in part, “Massasoit, great Sachem of the Wampanoags, Protector, and Preserver of the Pilgrims, 1621.”
• 1939
  • President Franklin D Roosevelt proclaimed the next-to-last Thursday of the month, November 23rd, to be Thanksgiving Day. The National Dry Goods Association requested this break with tradition to extend the Christmas shopping season by one week. This request was rejected by President Roosevelt in 1933 on the grounds that such change might cause confusion. The 1939 Thanksgiving Day proclamation did in fact cause confusion and the nation was again divided over the date of Thanksgiving Day in 1940.
• 1941
  • President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation establishing Thanksgiving Day as the fourth Thursday in November. To help resolve the increasing confusion and complaints over the last two years President Roosevelt signed legislation on November 26, establishing Thanksgiving Day as the fourth Thursday in November. The legislation would take effect in 1942 as holiday plans were already set for the current year. The Congressional legislation to designate the fourth Thursday of the month allowed Thanksgiving Day to fall on the last Thursday of November five out of seven years.
• 1942-1944
  • During World War II, the U.S. government encouraged families to celebrate “Franksgiving” by moving Thanksgiving up a week to create a longer shopping period before Christmas.
• 1947
  • The National Turkey Federation started the tradition of the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation, which involves the President pardoning a turkey. The tradition of pardoning a turkey started with President Harry Truman on Thanksgiving Eve. This lucky bird was pardoned just before becoming the meal of the day. The turkey pardoning tradition has been carried out by every president since and has become an annual Thanksgiving Tradition at the White House.
• 1952
  • The first televised Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was broadcast on national television, becoming a beloved annual tradition.
• 1957
  • The Philadelphia Eagles played against the Detroit Lions in the first NFL game to be nationally televised on Thanksgiving Day.
• 1969
  • The Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island in California began on Thanksgiving Day, marking a significant event in the Native American civil rights movement.
• 1973
  • The energy crisis resulted in the “Nixon Thanksgiving,” with Americans encouraged to reduce energy consumption during the holiday season.
• 1983
  • The “Turkey Pardon” ceremony, where the President officially pardoned a turkey, became an annual Thanksgiving Tradition in the White House.
• 1988
  • The last Thursday in November was designated as “National Day of Mourning” by Native Americans to remember the suffering of indigenous peoples.
• 1990
  • The “Macys.com” era began as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was broadcast online for the first time.
• 1993
  • The “Three-Turkey Day” occurred when President Bill Clinton spared three turkeys.
• 2008
  • The Great Recession impacted Thanksgiving celebrations, with many families and businesses scaling back due to economic hardship.
• 2012
  • Hurricane Sandy disrupted Thanksgiving plans in the northeastern U.S., leading to a wave of community support and volunteer efforts.
• 2013
  • Thanksgiving and Hanukkah overlapped in a rare occurrence known as “Thanksgivukkah.”
• 2020
  • The COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant change in Thanksgiving celebrations, with many families opting for virtual gatherings, smaller dinners, or outdoor activities to reduce the risk of transmission.

These events provide a glimpse into the evolving traditions and challenges associated with Thanksgiving over the decades.

As you can see from the history of our past generations surviving sickness, famine, wars, and at times certain death our forefathers and foremothers always found a time and place to pause and be thankful. The Thanksgiving Tradition of giving thanks was echoed throughout the colonies, territories, and states in the U.S.

Giving thanks evolved into a national tradition even before it became a national holiday.  In the U.S. today we should remember to be grateful for our forefathers and be thankful they had the faith, strength, and courage to endure and establish the Great country of America that we live in today. Be thankful for their vision of what could be.

What does this year’s Thanksgiving Day mean to you?

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The Thanksgiving Tradition – Not Only In America

The Thanksgiving Tradition is not only an American Holiday but is also celebrated in Canada, too. Instead of the fourth Thursday in November like in America, it falls on the second Monday of October.

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia The first official, annual Thanksgiving in Canada was celebrated on November 06, 1879, though Indigenous peoples in Canada have a history of celebrating the fall harvest that predates the arrival of European settlers.

Although its date moved around several times the government finally settled for the second Monday in October to align Thanksgiving with the completion of the Canadian harvest.

References:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Thanksgiving-Day

https://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/thanksgiving/timeline/

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/thanksgiving-day