The festival of Thanksgiving is very important in United States. With this festival comes different customs and celebrations, making the day special and unique in its own way. The most common thing that comes in mind with thanksgiving is the thanksgiving turkey. However, there are many facts associated with Thanksgiving Day.
So let’s take a close look at the different thanksgiving facts and add to the excitement and fun of this day.
Thanksgiving Day: thanksgiving is celebration on the 4th Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October.
First Thanksgiving: the Plymouth Pilgrims were the first to celebrate Thanksgiving festival. These Pilgrims arrived in North America in December 1620. They sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to reach North America. The ship in which the Plymouth Pilgrims sailed was known by the name of 'Mayflower'. So the first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated in the fall of 1621 at Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Thanksgiving Celebration: beer is the part of the Thanksgiving celebrations. Beer was brought by the pilgrims in the Mayflower. As the pilgrims arrived, it was the Wampanoag Indians who taught the pilgrims how to cultivate the land.
Thanksgiving Feast: the pilgrim leader, Governor William Bradford organized the first thanksgiving feast in the year 1621 and invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians also to the feast. The first thanksgiving feast was held in the presence of around 90 Wampanoag Indians and the Wampanoag chief, Massasoit, was also invited there. The celebrations lasted for 3 days.
First National Thanksgiving Day Proclamation: it was President George Washington who issued the first national Thanksgiving Day Proclamation in the year 1789 and again in 1795. Thanksgiving Day was officially made an annual custom in 1817 by the state of New York. Abraham Lincoln issued a 'Thanksgiving Proclamation' on 3rd October 1863 and officially set aside the last Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving. . President Franklin D. Roosevelt restored Thursday before last of November as Thanksgiving Day in the year 1939. This was done to elaborate the Christmas shopping festival and making the festive mood last longer. Congress passed an official proclamation in 1941 and declared that now onwards Thanksgiving will be observed as a legal holiday on the fourth Thursday of November every year.
Turkey in Thanksgiving: Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States, however he faced opposition from Thomas Jefferson. Despite this turkey is an important part of the Thanksgiving festivities. Today, Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States.
