Thanksgiving: How did the national holiday start and why is it celebrated?

Thanksgiving officially marks the beginning of the festive season, bringing along a string of holidays for the Americans. Along with being the national holiday in the US, the day is also celebrated in Brazil, Germany, Canada, Japan and other countries worldwide.

Here's a little peek back into it's original and significance:

Thanksgiving 2023: Date

Thanksgiving will be celebrated this year on Thursday, November 23, 2023.

Thanksgiving 2023: How did it start?

Thanksgiving is one celebration deep-rooted in the American tradition and rituals. An ode to the harvest and blessings of the past year, it was first held in 1621 by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The two celebrated their survival and the arrival of winter with an elaborate feast.

Following this many individual colonies and states celebrated the festival. However, it was in 1863 that the occasion was declared a national holiday by President Abraham Lincoln, “hoping to reconcile a country in the throes of the Civil War.”

The holiday was annually proclaimed by subsequent Presidents thereafter. However, after a joint resolution was passed by Congress in 1941, President Franklin D Roosevelt issued a proclamation next year in 1942, designating the fourth Thursday in November as what we know today as Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving 2023: Why is it celebrated?

Annually, Thanksgiving is celebrated to pay gratitude to and recognise the blessings and sacrifices of the past year. Families and friends gather to celebrate the bonds and happiness over a scrumptious feast.

A traditional Thanksgiving meal includes a turkey, bread stuffing, potatoes, cranberries and pumpkin pie. Following another tradition, the President of the United States of America, pardon a turkey on the morning of the celebratory day.

Thanksgiving 2023: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at 8:30 a.m. to noon ET on Thursday, November 23 live from NYC. You can watch it on NBC and Peacock.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.