Thanksgiving Day: why it is celebrated and what is the origin of the tradition

The Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on Fourth Thursday of November in the United States, to give thanks for the blessings received during the year, bringing families together to prepare and enjoy a hearty dinner with the traditional turkey as protagonist and main dish.

Origin of Thanksgiving

The typical holiday of the United States and Canada dates back to the first English settlers in the territories. It has a Christian origin in which thanks were given for a good harvest or a good year, and has been maintained to this day.

The Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock on 11 December 1620. The first winter was very hard for them, but the following autumn they got a good harvest of the seeds they had planted.

They decided to celebrate with a big dinner, including the Indians who had helped them survive the first year. For this, the men went hunting to get meat for dinner and ended up eating a wild bird which they called “turkey”.

The date was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, but it was only in 1941 that it was officially declared a holiday by the United States Congress.

How is Thanksgiving celebrated and what to eat?

• In the United States it is considered a Vacation.​
• The traditional dinner dish consists of roasted and baked turkey, accompanied by corn, mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and gravy (a gravy made with turkey juice), and apple pie for dessert. or pumpkins.
• The President of the United States holds a “turkey pardon” ceremony, where the life of a turkey is spared. This ceremony started in the year 1963 with President John F. Kennedy.
• It is customary to offer food to the neediest, as evidence of love for one’s neighbor.
• The Friday following the Thanksgiving celebration begins the holiday shopping season, known as Black Friday or Black Friday, in which shops and stores offer big discounts.