Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada, with its origins deeply rooted in the history and traditions of early settlers. The holiday is primarily a time to express gratitude and share a meal with family and friends. Here is an overview of the history of Thanksgiving and how it has evolved over time.
The origins of Thanksgiving in North America can be traced back to the early 17th century. In 1620, a group of English Puritans, known as the Pilgrims, sailed across the Atlantic on the Mayflower, landing at Plymouth Rock in present-day Massachusetts. The settlers faced a harsh winter, during which nearly half of them perished due to the cold, disease, and lack of food. However, with the help of the Indigenous Wampanoag people, who taught them vital agricultural techniques, the Pilgrims were able to survive and eventually thrive.
In the autumn of 1621, the Pilgrims celebrated their first successful harvest with a feast that lasted three days. This event, often regarded as the “First Thanksgiving,” was attended by both Pilgrims and Native Americans, including the Wampanoag leader Massasoit. The meal shared during this gathering is believed to have included venison, fowl, corn, and other indigenous foods, marking a moment of peace and cooperation between the two groups.
Thanksgiving became an annual tradition in the New England colonies, though it was not yet observed as a nationwide holiday. The practice of celebrating a day of thanks spread throughout the colonies, with each region setting its own date and customs. It wasn’t until the late 18th century that the idea of a national Thanksgiving began to take hold.
In 1789, President George Washington declared the first national Thanksgiving Day, recommending November 26 as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. This proclamation was intended to give thanks for the successful ratification of the U.S. Constitution and the establishment of a new government. However, Thanksgiving did not become an annual federal holiday until much later.
Throughout the 19th century, various states celebrated Thanksgiving on different dates, and it was not until 1863, during the American Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day. Influenced by the persistent efforts of Sarah Josepha Hale, an influential writer and editor, Lincoln established the holiday to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November. This decision aimed to unify the nation and promote healing during a time of great division.
In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt briefly moved Thanksgiving up a week to extend the holiday shopping season, a decision that was met with controversy. In 1941, Congress passed a resolution to officially set the holiday on the fourth Thursday of November, where it remains today.
In Canada, Thanksgiving has a separate but somewhat parallel history. The first Canadian Thanksgiving is often traced back to 1578, when English explorer Martin Frobisher held a ceremony in what is now Newfoundland and Labrador to give thanks for the safe passage through the Northwest Passage. Thanksgiving in Canada became an official holiday in 1879, originally celebrated on November 6. It was later moved to the second Monday in October in 1957, aligning with the end of the harvest season.
Today, Thanksgiving is a time for families to gather and enjoy a festive meal, often featuring turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. The holiday also marks the start of the holiday season in both the United States and Canada, filled with traditions, parades, and football games. While Thanksgiving has evolved over the centuries, its core purpose remains the same: to give thanks for the blessings of the past year and to cherish moments spent with loved ones.