Thanksgiving Day is a day reserved
to thank God, for the bountiful yield particularly when the harvest season
terminates. It is celebrated in various ways at different times of the year in
separate parts of the country. In United States, it is celebrated on the fourth
Thursday of November with much zeal and enthusiasm. On the other hand, in
Canada it is celebrated on the second Monday of October and is known as the
Harvest festival. The celebration starts by getting together of near and dear
ones to celebrate good luck together. This day officially marks the beginning
of winter holiday season. It comes in between the Halloween and the Christmas.
Thus, there is a long celebration waiting till Christmas.
History
Thanksgiving is indeed one of the oldest traditional festivals, celebrated
throughout the world. It has been said that during ancient times, tribes used
to make offerings and prepare feats to thank and appease the gods and goddesses
of harvesting. It is believed that even Jews, the Romans and the Greeks
celebrated similarly to gratify their gods and goddesses. In United States, it
is believed that Thanksgiving was originally a harvest festival which was
celebrated by the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony in 1621. Pilgrims celebrated a
three-day feast to celebrate their magnanimous harvest in North America. This
was how first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated.
George Washington had announced a
National holiday on Thanksgiving Day in 1989. However, later Jefferson dismissed
the idea of giving National Day on Thanksgiving. But again in1863, Linclon
announced last Thursday of November as a National Day of Thanksgiving. And
finally in 1941, Thanksgiving Day was proclaimed as the fourth day of November
by a joint resolution of Congress.
Meal During Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving celebrations have seen a lot of changes since its first feast in
1621. During the first feast, it is believed that the meal constituted of
wheat, corn, peas, barley, wild fowl (ducks, geese, swans or wild turkey), fish
(bass and cod) and five deer. Even today, the tradition remains the same of
serving turkey, mashed potatoes, corn and various vegetables sand side dishes
in dinner feast. The dessert normally consists of pumpkin pie or pecan pie.
Thanksgiving is Celebrated Round the World
As the dates of celebration vary; the spirit remains the same throughout the
world. In the United Kingdom, the day is celebrated as the harvest festival in
late September or October. The day is marked by special services being
organized at local churches to appease the god and goddesses of harvesting. The
Jewish people, celebrates this festival for nine days to honor the festival.
They call the festival as ‘Sukkot’. In China, the day is observed as the
festival of autumn moon or Zhong Qui and is celebrated in the eight month of
the Chinese calendar. In India, the harvest festival is celebrated as Onam in
the state of Kerala. In Lithuania, the Thanksgiving tradition includes the
creation of ‘boba’ meaning an old woman from the last sheaf of grain during
harvest time. It is believed that keeping the ‘boba’ until spring keeps the
crop healthy and alive until plantation of crop the next year.
Whatever the dates and reasons are
for celebrating the ‘Thanksgiving Day’, it remains as a day for feasting and
merry making with your family and friends. You could even take the opportunity
of Thanksgiving Day and combine it with your Christmas vacations to gift your
family a holiday of their dreams! Don’t worry of the air ticket prices; there are many sites which
provide cheap air fares giving you a vacation without blowing
off your budget.
