Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was originally a harvest festival, but now a recognized national holiday in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Liberia, as well as informally other nations like the Philippines and Brazil. The Australian territory of Norfolk Island and the Dutch city of Leiden also observe it. In the US, thanksgiving was celebrated by individual colonies and states for more than two centuries. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that Thanksgiving Day is held each November, making it the national holiday of this country.

The history of Thanksgiving dated way back to 1621. In that year, the Pilgrims celebrated their successful wheat crop and overflowing store cupboards with a three-day feast. The hosts shared their meal of partridge, wild turkey, and fish with the Massasoit and Wampanoag Native American tribes. That event was now known as the first-ever Thanksgiving. Nowadays, people in Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts still organize events on thanksgiving to relive the history of that original celebration. There are also parades, football games, and shopping campaigns during the thanksgiving week since the day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday.

After centuries went by, Thanksgiving is now a day for people to give thanks for what they have. On this day, people usually get together for a meal including a roast turkey, stuffing, potatoes, vegetables, cranberry sauce, gravy, and pumpkin pie. On Thanksgiving Day, the majority of offices in government, industry, education, and other sectors are closed so that people can have the best time with there families and loved ones.

Duration: The second Monday of October (Canada), the fourth Thursday of November (USA)

Location: USA, Canada, Germany, Grenada, Liberia, Saint Lucia, etc.