Thanksgiving Day

What is?
The Thanksgiving Day is a traditional celebration of North America (Except Mexico). In the United States it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, though originally it was done last Thursday. In Canada it is celebrated on the second Monday of October. It constitutes regularly a great familiar feast, in which the persons meet his relatives concerning the table, realizing traditional celebrations.

What do people do?

It is traditional for families and groups of friends to get together for a large meal. This often consists of a turkey, stuffing, different types of potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy and maize and other seasonal vegetables. The meal also often includes pumpkin pie. Many of these foods are native to the Americas and were not available in Europe at the time of the first settlers. This adds to their symbolism of giving thanks for a good harvest in a new country.

Thanksgiving Day parades are held in some cities and towns on or around Thanksgiving Day. Some parades or festivities also mark the opening of the Christmas shopping season. Many football games are played and watching them is a popular activity. Some people have a four-day weekend so it is a popular time for trips out of town and to visit friends and family. 

The origin.


The holiday is related to the English settling. In 1620 a group of Christian settlers travelled to America on board of the ship Mayflower. They landed in November on the coast of Massachusetts to establish the Cologne of Plymouth. Without having time to be prepared for hard conditions of privation and cold. Of the hundred of Christians they did not survive the half of them. Those who achieved it, owed his luck to the help and food that the native ones of the zone.

Established and with the first gathered crop, the survivors decided to share his fruits with the Indians who helped them when they did not have resources. The governor of the colony proclaimed " one day of giving thanks to the Gentleman in order that we could in a more special way be glad after having gathered the fruit of our work ".


This pacific conviviality with the native ones lasted a few years, since the massive abundance of European colonists and the occupation of the territories of the aborigens would take them to constant clashes. The result of such confrontations was the almost total extermination of the Indians Wampanoag.

In 1789, the first president of the United States, George Washington, proclaimed the date as national day of Thanksgiving. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared that the celebration realized as national holiday of the United States. Nevertheless, it was not until 1941 that was established the date as official holiday.

The Thanksgiving Day is considered by many as the favorite bank holiday of the United States, in the main because it assembles all about the table for the dinner.