Thanksgiving Day

The Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic Ocean from England in 1620. They left because of religious differences with the Church of England. They settled in Massachusetts. Their first winter in this new land was a hard one for them. They had arrived too late in the year to plant crops. Many of them died of diseases because they did not have fresh food.

The Iroquois Indians lived in the area. The following spring, they taught the Pilgrims how to grow corn and other crops and taught them to hunt and fish. In the fall, the colonists had a bounty of food and they planned a feast. The feast was to give thanks for the bounty they had received. They invited the local Indian chief and members of his tribe. The colonists roasted turkeys and wild game and the Indians brought a deer to be roasted. The Indians taught the colonists to cook foods such as cranberries and squash. In the year following, the colonists continued the fall celebration to give thanks for their fall harvest.

When the United States achieved its independence from Great Britain, George Washington suggested November 26 as Thanksgiving Day. In 1863, after the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln asked Americans to set aside the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving.

To lengthen the shopping days before Christmas, President Franklin Roosevelt set the date one week earlier, the third Thursday in November. In 1941, Congress set the date as the fourth Thursday in November and it would be proclaimed as a federal holiday each year by the President. The fourth Thursday of November falls on a different date each year and that is why the President issues a proclamation.

Thanksgiving Day is a time for giving thanks and family sharing. People who live in other states or countries return home for the annual tradition of Thanksgiving Dinner with turkey and all the trimmings. Many charitable groups provide special meals for the homeless and low-income families.

Visit My Information Mall