2022-11-24 08:00:00
Thanksgivingin English ‘Thanksgiving’is a fiesta which is celebrated in several countries. In all cases it has a religious character, since it consists of a celebration of gratitude for some reason in particular (good harvest, end of a drought…), although not so much in its origin. Especially celebrated is in the country in which we will focus, USAwhere there is some controversy about the origin of the Thanksgiving Daywhich is celebrated on a specific date.
What is the origin of the celebration?
Modern tradition indicates that the origen dates back to the early 1620s in Plymouth (Massachusetts, USA). In 1620 a ship called the ‘Mayflower’ arrived from England to this town, in the northeast of what we know today as the United States (founded in 1776). Once there, the natives helped the English to harvest the land in the settlement where they had settled. In 1621, after a successful harvest, he appointed as governor of the colony of Plymouth organized a party to invite those indigenous people who had helped them to a meal as a token of appreciation. This event became an annual tradition, it spread throughout the territory and today it is a national event.
This is the most popular version of its origin, although there are historians who point out that the first celebration of these characteristics dates back to the Spanish colonizers in Florida 60 years earlier.
Where and when is it celebrated?
Thanksgiving Day is celebrated mainly in the United States and Canada. In other countries, like Germany y Japan, similar festivities are celebrated that call differently. In the US it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, while in Canada it is the second Monday of October, being a national holiday in both countries. In some cities, events and parades are held, such as the one in New York, which brings together millions of people.
How is Thanksgiving celebrated?
Thanksgiving is a family celebration, even more important than Christmas in some cases. American families gather at their homes, where they prepare a banquet. Before the meal, the most believers say a prayer in gratitude to God for the food. At the table, the of them is the main protagonist. Normally it is served stuffed and cooked in the oven and accompanied by some sauce (red cranberry is frequent).
The turkey is usually accompanied at the table by large trays of vegetables, sweet potatoes, among other foods. The tables are full to the end, also at dessert time or desserts, since it is common for a wide variety of sweets to be served. The most popular is pumpkin pie. The meal is usually accompanied by apple cider, wine, and champagne.
The pardon of the turkey
Thanksgiving is also widely celebrated at the White House. In 1989, then-President George HW Bush inaugurated the tradition of pardoning a turkey before Thanksgiving, and all of his successors have upheld this ceremony. The president of the USA, Donald Trump, has also complied with the tradition of this festivity, the most popular in the country.
President Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) established the holiday of ‘Thanksgiving’ to commemorate the celebration with which the British colonists who arrived in the country aboard the ‘Mayflower’ in 1620, wanted to thank God for their good harvest after a harsh winter. In 1789, when George Washington was appointed the first president of the United States, he chose November 26 as the official day of Thanksgiving, but in 1863 Lincoln established the last Thursday of November as the final official date.
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