The origin and customs of Thanksgiving Day revealed!
7 min readWhat is the origin of Thanksgiving Day? Thanksgiving Day is the original American ancient holiday, but also the American family reunion festival, Thanksgiving Day has a long history, the time of Thanksgiving Day is also changing, in 1941, the United States Congress officially set the fourth Thursday in November as “Thanksgiving Day”. What are the customs and ways of celebrating Thanksgiving? Do other countries celebrate Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving Day is an ancient holiday created by the American people. It is also a time for American families to get together. Originally, there was no fixed date for Thanksgiving. It was decided by each state on an AD hoc basis. It wasn’t until 1863, after independence, that President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday.
In 1941, the United States Congress officially designated the fourth Thursday in November as “Thanksgiving Day.” The Thanksgiving holiday usually lasts from Thursday to Sunday. In 1879, the Canadian Parliament declared November 6 a Thanksgiving Day and national holiday.
The date of Thanksgiving changed several times over the years, until on January 31, 1957, the Canadian Parliament declared the second Monday in October as Thanksgiving Day. In addition to the United States and Canada, Egypt, Greece and other countries in the world have their own unique Thanksgiving Day, but the United Kingdom, France and other European countries are isolated from Thanksgiving, and some scholars have proposed the establishment of a “Chinese Thanksgiving Day” in order to promote traditional culture.
The meaning and celebration of Thanksgiving Day.
Since 1621, the meaning and celebration of Thanksgiving have changed little. On this day, churches of all denominations are open to give thanks for God’s generous gifts. Thanksgiving is a family holiday. Across the country, husbands and wives, children and the elderly, from town to town, from town to town, from village to village, return to their hometowns to enjoy the holiday. People who can’t go home also make long-distance phone calls to talk with their parents and families and share their gratitude. Thanksgiving dinner is practically the same all over the country.
The table is always full of all kinds of delicious food. Mostly Turkey, of course. Eating pumpkin pie is a reminder of the gift the Indians gave to the first settlers.
In most families, some traditional games are played after dinner. Thanksgiving is a joyous celebration. It is a time for families to gather. It is a time to renew friendships. On that day, even bachelors are invited into other people’s homes to share the joy of Thanksgiving and give thanks to God for his blessings. That’s what Thanksgiving is all about.
Customs and ways of celebrating Thanksgiving Day.
Americans: Reunion, partying, shopping, eating.
On Thanksgiving Day in the United States, millions of people, no matter how busy they are, get together with their families and enjoy a big holiday dinner.
The Thanksgiving holiday is also one of the most stressful times for U.S. airlines, with nearly full flights and frequent delays. But people are probably willing to spend the holidays with their families.
Every Thanksgiving, American families eat Turkey. Turkey has become the symbol of Thanksgiving, and they usually eat some traditional dishes, such as zucchini, creamy Onions, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and so on.
In addition, it is customary for people to go to church to say Thanksgiving prayers. Costume parades, plays and sports competitions are held in towns and cities. Schools and shops are also closed. The children also imitate the appearance of the Indians in the past, wearing strange costumes, painted faces or masks to sing in the street, blowing horns. Families who live in other parts of the country also come home for the holidays. Families sit together, munch on delicious Turkey and say thank you. After Thanksgiving, the school asks students to draw a picture of Thanksgiving, and most students draw a picture of a Turkey.
At the same time, hospitable Americans never forget to invite friends, bachelors, or people far from home for a holiday. Since the 18th century, there has been a custom in the United States of giving baskets of food to poor families. There was a group of young women who wanted to choose one day of the year to do good, and thought Thanksgiving Day would be the perfect day. So as soon as Thanksgiving came, they took a basket full of food to the homes of the poor. Rumors spread far and wide, and soon many others followed their example. No matter who they meet, they say, “Thank you”!
Americans also often call the Friday after Thanksgiving “Black Friday.” On this day, all kinds of stores in the United States will offer discounts on goods. In recent years, it has become more and more serious, and some stores even moved the discount day to Thanksgiving Day. It is an annual shopping frenzy in the United States.
Canadian: No religious celebration.Thanksgiving Day in Canada and the United States is not on the same day, because of the higher latitude and the earlier ripening season of grain. Different from the American tradition of remembering the Pilgrims’ settlement in the New World, Canadians mainly thank God for the successful harvest. Thanksgiving Day is mainly to celebrate the harvest, thank nature, thank God for the abundant sunshine and dew, let the grain growth as the Thanksgiving theme, without any religious color, therefore, Canada’s Thanksgiving Day earlier than the United States, scheduled to celebrate on the second Monday in October.
Canadians also gather as a family, enjoying roast Turkey and pumpkin pie is a classic Thanksgiving picture. The traditional roast Turkey is stuffed with croutons, onion, celery, sage and other ingredients, and then baked in the oven. The average housewife likes to buy a big Turkey, because if they can’t finish it that day, they can turn into a Turkey pie or a Turkey pie. As for pumpkin pie, the most traditional way to eat it in Canada is to serve it with a rich cranberry sauce. The best way to make pumpkin pie is to make canned pumpkin taste better than fresh pumpkin.
Egyptian: Pretend to cry for corn.The ancient Egyptian Harvest Festival was held in honor of Min, the god of crops. Their harvest season is spring, so the festival is held every spring. The ancient Egyptians first held parades and then feasts. At the same time, music, dance, sports competitions and so on are also their celebrations.
The ancient Egyptians used to pretend to cry and grieve when they celebrated the corn harvest, in order to deceive the “spirit” they believed existed in the corn, which they feared would be angry if the corn continued to grow after harvest.
Jews: Build a hut and have a feast under the stars.
The Jewish people also celebrate the harvest, and their festival is called “Mugwort,” which is the Jewish festival of harvest. Held every autumn, the festival has a history of more than 3,000 years. The “Knot Mau Festival” begins in the month of Tiri in the Hebrew calendar, which is the 15th day of July in the Jewish calendar and the fifth day of Yom Kippur Day.
During the eight-day festival of Mugwort, Jews set up huts with branches as a reminder of the altars where their ancestors worshipped. The huts are temporary, with no branches inserted into the ground and roofs thatched to allow light in. Fruits and vegetables, including apples, grapes, corn and pomegranates, hang in the room. On the second day of the festival, the Jews held their feast in the cabins under the stars.
Greeks: Cake fruit to the goddess of agriculture.
The ancient Greeks believed in many gods. Among them was a goddess of agriculture, marriage, and fertility named Demeter. The festival of Thesmosphoria was held in honor of this goddess every autumn. On the first day of the festival, married women set up huts covered in leaves with benches made of plants. The next day was a fast, and on the third day a feast was held and gifts of corn seeds, cakes, fruit and pigs were offered to the goddess.
Britain, France and other European countries: and Thanksgiving insulation.
France, Britain and other European countries are insulated from Thanksgiving. The British don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. For them, the single most important holiday is Christmas. Europeans did not have the experience of the American continent to thank the Indians on another continent, so they did not have a Thanksgiving Day. Because the holiday has a deep history in the United States and involves the religion of the time. Many people think that Thanksgiving is a popular holiday in Europe and the United States, but this is not true. As a general rule, congratulating Europeans with “Happy Thanksgiving” on Thanksgiving Day is considered impolite and likely to result in resentment.