History of Thanksgiving
The first Thanksgiving in the United States happened in 1621 when the people from England and the Native Americans had a big meal together. They were happy about the good harvest. After that, different places in the country celebrated days of thanksgiving.
In 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln said there should be a national Thanksgiving Day every November. But some people, especially Native Americans, think that Thanksgiving hides the bad things that happened between the European settlers and the Native Americans.
Meaning
Thanksgiving Day is a special day in the United States, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. It all started with a big meal that the Plymouth colonists from England and the Native Americans. This meal is thought to be one of the first Thanksgivings in America. The holiday is all about celebrating the harvest season and everything good that happened in the past year. It's a time for people to get together with family and friends, eat a traditional meal, and say thank you for all the good things in life.
Facts
- The first Thanksgiving happened in 1621 and lasted three days with nearly 53 Pilgrims, 90 Wampanoag Indians, and probably only five women.
- There is no evidence that the food at the first Thanksgiving included turkey, but likely had venison, duck, goose, oysters, lobster, eel, and fish, and also pumpkins and cranberries.
- Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863 after being convinced by Sarah Josepha Hale, who wrote "Mary Had A Little Lamb," after she wrote letters for 17 years.
- U.S. presidents' history of pardoning turkeys is a bit unclear. Harry Truman didn't really pardon a turkey, but received one and had it for dinner. John F. Kennedy was the first to let a Thanksgiving turkey go, and George H.W. Bush formalized the turkey pardoning tradition in 1989.
- Football on Thanksgiving started in 1876 with a game between Yale and Princeton, and the first NFL games on Thanksgiving were played in 1920.
Significance
Thanksgiving has become more about coming together and being thankful instead of being about religion. Lots of people in the US see it as a day to meet with family and friends, have yummy food, and watch football. Some people write down what they're thankful for and tell others about it. It's a time to be with loved ones and say thank you for all the good things in life.
Quotes
- "What if, today, we were grateful for everything?" – Charlie Brown
- "Be present in all things and thankful for all things." – Maya Angelou
- "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life." –Melody Beattie
- "Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot." – Hansa Proverb
- "Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life." - Rumi
- "The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest." - William Blake
- "Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind." - Lionel Hampton
- "True forgiveness is when you can say, 'Thank you for that experience.'" - Oprah Winfrey
- "Thanksgiving is the meal we aspire for other meals to resemble." - Jonathan Safran Foer
- "Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day." - Robert Caspar Lintner
- "If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily." - Gerald Good
- "There is always, always something to be thankful for."- Unknown
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