The United States celebrates this Thursday (27) the Dgoing to Thanksgivingthe country’s main holiday.
The date celebrates the harvest and the abundance of food, bringing families together to give thanks for the blessings of the year that is coming to an end.
During the night of the holiday, families also usually prepare a special feast, which includes typical dishes such as turkey, bread-based stuffing, potatoes, berries and pumpkin pie.
The tradition is also celebrated in Canada, but on a different date: the second Monday of November. The United States celebrates the date on the last Thursday of the same month. This year, the dates fell on the 10th and 27th, respectively.
Origins of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is believed to have originated from a feast in colonial New England in 1621, shared by English settlers from Plymouth (present-day Massachusetts) and the indigenous Wampanoag people.
It all started when the Plymouth pilgrims went out to “hunt fowl” for a feast.
While searching for the animals, they were surprised by a group of about 90 Wampanoag in the territory.
After the unexpected meeting, the two groups socialized without incident. The Wampanoag even contributed deer meat to the Pilgrims’ feast, which included fish, eels, shellfish, stews, vegetables, and beer.
During the feast, the men also fired firearms, participated in races, and drank alcoholic beverages, striving to communicate in rudimentary English and the native language of the Wampanoag people.
After the friendly union between the two peoples, the English colonists began to celebrate Thanksgiving regularly, to thank God for blessings such as military victories or the end of a drought.
Date made official in 1863
During the American Civil War, then-American President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the national holiday to promote unity amid regional tensions.
In Canada, the Thanksgiving it arose in a similar way, based on gratitude for safe travel, peace, and bountiful harvests.
The first celebration took place in 1578, when an expedition led by English sailor Martin Frobisher held a ceremony in the Arctic territory of Nunavut to give thanks for the safety of his fleet.
In 1879, more than three centuries later, Parliament established a National Thanksgiving Day.
In this way, the came to symbolize intercultural peace, the opportunities offered to newcomers to the United States, and the importance of home and family.
With the increasing urbanization of American territory, the date also became important for commerce.
Since 1924, , in New York City, has maintained the tradition, with huge balloons and themed decorations.
Traditions other than the banquet
In addition to feasting and entertainment, Thanksgiving inspired other customs. Many Americans engage in charitable activities, such as volunteering or organizing food drives.
A notable tradition is also the “turkey pardon,” in which the U.S. president ceremonially “pardons” a live animal, sparing it from being sacrificed for the dinner feast.
The first documented turkey pardon was given by John F. Kennedy in 1963. But the true beginning of what has become the current tradition of pardoning turkeys dates back to Harry Truman’s presidency in 1947.
The official tradition began in 1989 at the White House, when then-President George HW Bush granted the first official presidential pardon.
The ceremony this year took place on Tuesday (25), where the president.
Another Thanksgiving tradition is the breaking of the wishbone. In this custom, after the turkey is cut, two people pull on each end of the animal’s bone while making a silent request.
Tradition says that whoever ends up with the longest piece when the bone breaks will have their wish granted.
