Thanksgiving

 Harvest celebration

Thanksgiving began as a harvest celebration in the early 1600s, most famously marked by the 1621 feast between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people. Over time, it evolved into a national holiday in the United States, officially established by Abraham Lincoln in 1863.

Early Roots

European traditions: 

Thanksgiving’s origins trace back to English Protestant practices of giving thanks after harvests or significant events. Days of fasting or thanksgiving were common during the Reformation.

Indigenous traditions: 

Native peoples across North America had long practiced ceremonies of gratitude for harvests and seasonal cycles, well before European settlers arrived.

The “First Thanksgiving” (1621)

In September 1620, the Mayflower carried 102 passengers to New England. After a brutal winter, only half survived.

With help from Squanto, a member of the Pawtuxet tribe, the Pilgrims learned to grow corn, fish, and survive in their new environment.

In autumn 1621, the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people, led by Massasoit, shared a three-day feast to celebrate the harvest. This event is often remembered as the “First Thanksgiving”.

Becoming a National Holiday

For more than two centuries, colonies and states held their own Thanksgiving observances.

In 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to foster unity.

In 1941, Congress officially set the date as the fourth Thursday in November.

Canadian Thanksgiving

Canada’s earliest Thanksgiving dates back to 1578, when explorer Martin Frobisher gave thanks for safe passage.

It became a national holiday in 1879, now celebrated on the second Monday in October.

Modern Traditions

Food: 

Turkey, cranberries, stuffing, and pumpkin pie are staples, though the 1621 menu included venison, seafood, and native crops.

Events: 

Parades (like Macy’s in New York City) and football games are long-standing traditions.

Global echoes: 

Variations of Thanksgiving are celebrated in countries like Liberia, Germany, and Brazil, often tied to harvest festivals.

Controversies

Many Native Americans view Thanksgiving as a reminder of colonization, displacement, and violence. Some mark it as a National Day of Mourning, highlighting the need to acknowledge the full history behind the holiday.

Thanksgiving is thus both a celebration of gratitude and harvest and a complex historical event that intertwines joy, survival, and painful legacies.

Happy Thanksgiving!