On the fourth Thursday of November, the United States celebrates the public holiday — Thanksgiving Day. This is one of the most popular holidays in the country.
Thanksgiving Day was first celebrated in 1621 by English colonists living in Plymouth Colony. The previous winter was very difficult and hungry; the new winter also promised the colonists little good. Then Governor William Bradford decided to raise the spirit of his subordinates and organized the first Thanksgiving Day. The holiday was jointly celebrated by British colonists and their Indian neighbors, thanks to whose help Plymouth Colony survived the first hungry winter.
The Puritans brought a deep religious meaning to this holiday — they saw in it a way to thank the Almighty for his mercies.
Thanksgiving Day became a national holiday after the corresponding decree of the country's first president, George Washington, in 1789 —, he proposed celebrating it annually on November 26. In 1864, at the end of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November each year Thanksgiving Day, and in 1941, the US Congress passed a bill that legislated the date of celebration for the fourth Thursday of November.
Thanksgiving Day is associated with a number of traditions that Americans sacredly preserve and observe. All family members must go to church and gather at the festive table after the service.
Among the main traditions of the day is the — gathering of the whole family at the festive table (Photo: Pressmaster, licensed by Shutterstock.com)
On the eve of Thanksgiving, charity is flourishing: Americans are trying to feed and somehow please their neighbors who are unlucky in life. Even at metro stations, special tables are installed on which everyone can put their donations, including food. On the eve of the holiday, charitable organizations distribute collected gifts to those in need, and organize lunches for the homeless.
The second most important attribute of Thanksgiving is — turkey. At the first festival, colonists and Indians roasted and jointly ate four turkeys shot in a nearby forest. Since then, turkey and Thanksgiving have become synonymous; poultry farmers fatten turkeys especially for this holiday.
The third attribute of the holiday is — parades (mostly costumed in 17th century clothes and Indian costumes) and fun.