Every November we gather around a turkey with our family and friends, but do you ever stop to wonder why? The Pilgrims had less to do with it than you think. Here are some little known facts about our beloved T-Day.
Thanksgiving Day Around The World
Think the United States has cornered Thanksgiving Day? Think again. Seven other countries observe an official Thanksgiving Day. Those nations are Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Korea, Liberia, and Switzerland.
History of Thanksgiving in America
According to most historians, the Pilgrims never observed an annual Thanksgiving feast in autumn. They did celebrate a feast near Plymouth, Massachusetts, following their first harvest in 1621. But this feast, that is widely referred to as the first Thanksgiving, was never repeated. Even though this harvest feast was never called Thanksgiving by the pilgrims of 1621, it has become the model for the traditional Thanksgiving celebrations in the United States. Firsthand accounts of this feast can be found on Pilgrim Hall Museum. Oddly enough, most devoutly religious pilgrims observed a day of thanksgiving with prayer and fasting, not feasting.
Timeline of Thanksgiving in America
- 1541 – Spanish explorer, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, led a thanksgiving Communion celebration at the Palo Duro Canyon, West Texas.
- 1565 – Pedro Menendez de Aviles and 800 settlers gathered for a meal with the Timucuan Indians in the Spanish colony of St. Augustine, Florida.
- 1621 – Pilgrims and Native Americans celebrated a harvest feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
- 1630 – Settlers observed the first Thanksgiving of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in New England on July 8, 1630.
- 1777 – George Washington and his army on the way to Valley Forge, stopped in blistering weather in open fields to observe the first Thanksgiving of the new United States of America.
- 1789 – President Washington declared November 26, 1789, as a national day of “thanksgiving and prayer.”
- 1800s – The annual presidential thanksgiving proclamations ceased for 45 years in the early 1800s.
- 1863 – President Abraham Lincoln resumed the tradition of Thanksgiving proclamations in 1863. Since this date, Thanksgiving has been observed annually in the United States.
- 1941 – President Roosevelt established the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.
Thanksgiving Traditions
- Turkey Day The centerpiece of most Thanksgiving feasts in the United States is a large roasted turkey, appropriately giving the holiday the nickname “Turkey Day.” Another tradition associated with the Thanksgiving turkey, is “making a wish” with the wishbone. The person who happens to get the wishbone in their slice of turkey, chooses another family member to join them in making a wish as they each hold one piece of the breastbone. They make a wish and then break the bone. The tradition says, whoever ends up holding the larger piece of bone, will have their wish come true.
- Presidential Turkey Each Thanksgiving Day since 1947, the President of the United States has been presented with three turkeys by the National Turkey Federation. One live turkey is pardoned and gets to live the rest of its life on a quiet farm; the other two are dressed for the Thanksgiving meal.
- Thanksgiving Football Football is an important part of many Thanksgiving Day celebrations in the United States.
• The Detroit Lions have hosted a game every Thanksgiving Day since 1934 (except 1939-1944, during World War II).
• The Dallas Cowboys have hosted a game every Thanksgiving Day since 1966 (except 1975 and 1977).
• Many regional and rival college and high school football games are played on Thanksgiving weekend.
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