Thanksgiving Day 2022: meaning and why Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the United States

In the United States, Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day is a very special celebration, full of traditions and customs.

The meaning of this holiday that is celebrated Fourth Thursday of November -the day before Black Friday- is thanks for the harvests and its origin dates back to the arrival in the United States of the first settlers from England.

The beginning of this deep-rooted celebration is linked to the arrival in the United States of mayflowera ship with more than 100 English colonists, in 1620.

This group of settlers who were escaping from the gallows, says the site About Historythey had strong religious beliefs, although they were opposed to the beliefs of the Anglican church.

They settled in the current State of Massachusetts and in their first winter they starved and there was a great number of deaths in the community.

Already the following spring the Wampanoag tribe offered their help and taught them to plant maize, a hitherto unknown plant, to hunt and fish.

The following fall they had a bountiful harvest and had a big celebratory feast. This event is known as America’s first Thanksgiving.

In this first festival, according to the history of about the story, the settlers invited the chief and 90 Wampanoag natives. They brought venison to roast and turkeys, while the settlers cooked cranberries and prepared the different types of grain on dishes unknown to the natives.

With the declaration of Independence the celebration was instituted.

Then, in 1863, at the end of a long and bloody civil war, Abraham Lincoln suggested that all Americans celebrate the last Thursday in November as a day of appreciation.

On the other hand, for indigenous peoples the date is considered the National Day of Mourning for Native American Indians.

This is not the only celebration related to abundance. Other earlier cultures and civilizations already had their celebrations to thank the corresponding deities for the blessing of a bountiful harvest.

How is Thanksgiving celebrated?

Being considered an ecumenical holiday, it is followed by people of different faiths or without religious conviction. The intention is to share blessings and good wishes with the closest people.

One of the most ingrained customs is to hold the meeting in the house of the elder relative. At a certain point of the meeting everyone thanks for the good obtained that year.

In honor of those early settlers and indigenous people, the traditional menu includes staples of that region, such as turkey, corn, pumpkins, and cranberry sauce.

Pumpkin pie, carrot cake and creamed vegetables are also usually served.

Another tradition requires the children to prepare a centrepiece, with natural elements typical of the countryside, such as scarecrows or pumpkins.

The meeting also usually revolves around the classic date football match. In addition, large shops often organize parades with floats and characters for children. Macy’s has been the most anticipated since 1927.