What is the purpose of Thanksgiving?
But what is the purpose
of Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving was originally a harvest festival, but it is now
observed more widely as a day to express gratitude for material blessings.
Thanksgiving Day is observed in Canada on the second Monday in October, despite
the fact that it is most often associated with the United States. In the
meantime, comparable holidays are observed in Germany, Austria, Switzerland,
and Netherlands.
Thanksgiving's
beginnings
The First Thanksgiving, also known as the
Thanksgiving of 1621, is almost always cited as the origin of Thanksgiving in
the United States. The Pilgrim Fathers, a group of European settlers from the
Plymouth Colony, which is now a part of Massachusetts, commemorated it.
The Pilgrims hosted a lavish
three-day feast to commemorate their first harvest in the New World, and both
Pilgrims and Native Americans took part. It is thought that the Pilgrims were
influenced by similar customs they had seen in Europe to act in this way.
The colonies that followed
set aside specific days for prayer and thanksgiving to God for their blessings.
Thanks to a declaration from George Washington, Thanksgiving became a federal
holiday in 1789. Thanksgiving was made a federal holiday by Abraham Lincoln on
the fourth Thursday of November 1863.
How Thanksgiving is celebrated Today
The Thanksgiving
holiday is now largely focused on eating a substantial meal, which almost
always includes turkey, in the United States. Thanksgiving is sometimes
jokingly referred to as "Turkey Day" because it is estimated that
between 85 and 91 percent of Americans eat turkey on that day. Other
traditional Thanksgiving fare includes cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, mashed
potatoes, and pumpkin pie.
Thanksgiving Day is typically spent by Americans
with their families or groups of friends as they give thanks for the many
blessings they consider themselves fortunate to have in their lives. Because
many people attend religious services or pray before meals, there is
occasionally a religious element to this.
Canadian Thanksgiving customs
Thanksgiving
celebrations in Canada and the United States share many similarities despite
taking place on different days. Again, turkey is a key component of the main
Thanksgiving meal, and the Canadian Football League typically hosts two games
that are broadcast on national television.
Other
countries that celebrate Thanksgiving
Outside of North
America, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland host Erntedankfest, also referred to
as "The Harvest Festival of Thanks." In contrast to American
holidays, this one typically emphasizes smaller religious celebrations over
substantial feasts. The creation of food displays, which are frequently used to
decorate churches and other structures, is one of the most notable aspects of
this particular holiday, aside from religious services.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving
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