How Did Thanksgiving Start?

Thanksgiving was not an annual celebration at first. Harvest festivals were common in Europe, so the Frobisher Expedition in 1578 celebrated a harvest festival.

In 1619, 38 colonists landed in Virginia and gave thanks for their safe passage. In 1621, a harvest festival was celebrated between the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims. There was no celebration the next year because of a drought. Later on, it did become an annual event, but did not occur on any particular date.

Over the years, Congress and several of the U.S. presidents declared days of Thanksgiving.

Washington proclaimed a Thanksgiving Day in 1777 to celebrate the victory over the British at Saratoga.

The Continental Congress instituted an annual celebration to be held in December from 1777-1783.

President Washington continued this tradition from 1789-1795.
President Adams did the same from 1798-1799.
President Madison had the holiday twice in 1815.

In 1863, the holiday was set as a yearly celebration by President Lincoln on the last Thursday in November. In 1941, President Roosevelt signed it into law as the fourth Thursday in November. So, from then on, Thanksgiving Day was official.

Celebrations Today

Today, Thanksgiving is still a time for families to come together and give thanks for their bounty, but now other considerations have been added to the festivities. It also signals the start of the holiday season.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

One exciting event is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, which started in 1924, was created by the many immigrants that worked at Macy’s.

They wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving but also wanted to give it more flair like the festivals in Europe.
They dressed up in costumes and paraded from 145th street to 34th street.
The parade included animals, bands, and floats.
It was a huge success.

Balloons came in to the equation at the Macys parade when they were released during the parade, with one containing a prize for some lucky person. This is no longer done, but now balloons are the main attraction of the parade for many.

The Macy's parade was not held during World War II, but resumed in 1945. That was the first year it was televised.

Black Friday

The Friday after Thanksgiving starts the count down until Christmas. This day of shopping has been around since the 1930s, probably because many people had a four day weekend. It is almost always the busiest shopping day of the year, so it only makes sense that stores would have sales on that day to beat their competition. The day is called Black Friday because this spike in retail sales usually puts the annual sales of the retailers into the black.

In spite of the long lines and crowds, there are some fantastic deals to be had on that day.

Around the World

There are official Thanksgiving Day holidays in Canada, the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Liberia, and Switzerland, but there are many other celebrations during the autumn months around the world.

China

The Harvest Moon Festival in China is a popular celebration that is held on the Autumn Equinox. It is a day of coming together and giving thanks for your abundance. During The Yam Festival in Ghana, yams are offered to the gods and ancestors after they are first given out to others. The yam is a common food in Africa and the first to be harvested.

Brazil

South America has many Indian cultures that have days to give thanks. In Brazil, a day has been set aside for prayer and thanksgiving since 1949.

Canada

Thanksgiving Day in Canada is a paid holiday, and is a time to give thanks for prosperity and to celebrate the harvest. It is observed on the second Monday of October.