Thanksgiving is a nationalholiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada,Saint Lucia,Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Germany. It is also observed in the Australian territory ofNorfolk Island. It began as a day of giving thanks for the blessings of theharvest and of the preceding year. Various similarly namedharvest festival holidays occur throughout the world during autumn. Although Thanksgiving has historical roots in religious and cultural traditions, it has long been celebrated as asecular holiday as well.
History
Prayers of thanks and special thanksgiving ceremonies are common among mostreligions after harvests and at other times of the year.[1] The Thanksgiving holiday's history in North America is rooted in English traditions dating from the ProtestantReformation. It also has aspects of aharvest festival, even though the harvest inNew England occurs well before the late-November date on which the modern Thanksgiving holiday is celebrated.[1][2]
In the English tradition, days of thanksgiving and special thanksgiving religious services became important during theEnglish Reformation in the reign ofHenry VIII.[3] Before 1536 there were 95 Church holidays, plus every Sunday, when people were required toattend church and forego work. Though the 1536 reforms in theChurch of England reduced the number of holidays in theliturgical calendar to 27, thePuritan party in the Anglican Church wished to eliminate all Church holidays apart from the weeklyLord's Day, including theevangelical feasts ofChristmas andEaster (cf.Puritan Sabbatarianism).[3] The holidays were to be replaced by specially calledDays of Fasting andDays of Thanksgiving, in response to events that the Puritans viewed as acts ofspecial providence. Unexpected disasters or threats of judgement from on high called for Days of Fasting.[4][3]
Special blessings, viewed as coming from God, called for Days of Thanksgiving, which were observed through Christianchurch services and other gatherings.[3] For example, Days of Thanksgiving were called following the victory over theSpanish Armada in 1588 and following the deliverance ofQueen Anne in 1605.[4] An unusual annual Day of Thanksgiving began in 1606 following the failure of theGunpowder Plot in 1605 and developed intoGuy Fawkes Day on November 5.[4] Days of Fasting were called on account of plagues in 1604 and 1622, drought in 1611, and floods in 1613. Annual Thanksgiving prayers were dictated by the charter of English settlers upon their safe landing in America in 1619 atBerkeley Hundred in Virginia.[5]
According to some historians, the first celebration of Thanksgiving in North America occurred during the 1578 voyage ofMartin Frobisher from England in search of theNorthwest Passage.[6] Other researchers, however, state that "there is no compelling narrative of the origins of the Canadian Thanksgiving day."[7]
Antecedents for Thanksgiving in Canada are also sometimes traced to the French settlers who came toNew France in the 17th century, who celebrated their successful harvests. The French settlers in the area typically had feasts at the end of the harvest season. They continued throughout the winter season, even sharing food with theindigenous peoples of the area.[8]
As settlers arrived in Nova Scotia from New England after 1700, late autumn Thanksgiving celebrations became commonplace. New immigrants into the country—such as the Irish, Scottish, and Germans—also added their own traditions to the harvest celebrations. Most of the U.S. aspects of Thanksgiving (such as the turkey) were incorporated whenUnited Empire Loyalists began toflee from the United States during and after theAmerican Revolution and settled in Canada.[8]
In 1859, the government of the provinces of Canada declared a Thanksgiving Day in which "all Canadians [were asked] to spend the holiday in 'public and solemn' recognition of God's mercies."[9] On 9 October 1879, Canada's Governor General, theMarquis of Lorne, declared November 6 as "a day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed."[9] The Canadian Parliament on 31 January 1957 applied the same language in its proclamation for the modern holiday: "A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed—to be observed on the second Monday in October."[10]
An annual thanksgiving holiday tradition in North American colonies is documented for the first time in 1619, in what is now called the Commonwealth ofVirginia. Thirty-eight English settlers aboard the shipMargaret arrived by way of the James River atBerkeley Hundred inCharles City County, Virginia on December 4, 1619. The landing was immediately followed by a religious celebration, specifically dictated by the group's charter from theLondon Company. The charter declared, "that the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned for plantation in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God."[11][5] Since the mid 20th century, the original celebration has been commemorated there annually at present-dayBerkeley Plantation, ancestral home of theHarrison family of Virginia.[12]
The more familiar but historically inaccurate explanation of the origins of the Thanksgiving holiday involves thePilgrims andPuritans who emigrated from England in the 1620s and 1630s. They brought their previous tradition ofdays of humiliation and thanksgiving (both of which involvedfasting) with them toNew England. A multi-day festival in 1621 inPlymouth Colony was prompted by a good harvest, though it was not at the time described as a thanksgiving. TheWampanoag, who had a mutual defense treaty with the colonists, responded in alarm to sounds of ceremonial gunfire, and were welcomed to join the feast. Along with thelast surviving Patuxet, the Wampanoag had helped them get through the previous winter by giving them food in that time of scarcity, in exchange for an alliance and protection against the rivalNarragansett tribe.[13]
Several celebrations were held in early New England history that have been identified as the "First Thanksgiving", including Pilgrim festivals in Plymouth in 1621 and 1623, and a Puritan holiday inBoston in 1631.[14][15] Now called3 Oktoberfeest, Leiden's autumn thanksgiving celebration in 1617 was the occasion for sectarian disturbance that appears to have accelerated the Pilgrims' plans to emigrate to America.[16] The 1621 Plymouth celebration was largely forgotten for hundreds of years and did not contribute to the development of the American holiday. It was retroactively termed "the first Thanksgiving" in a footnote added to an 1841 book by Alexander Young, and the Pilgrim story was then later incorporated into celebrations of the holiday.[17]
Later in New England, religious thanksgiving services were declared by civil leaders such asGovernor Bradford, who planned the Plymouth colony's thanksgiving celebration and feast in 1623.[18][19][20] The practice of holding an annual harvest festival did not become a regular affair in New England until the late 1660s.[21]
Thanksgiving proclamations were made mostly by church leaders in New England up until 1682, and then by both state and church leaders until after theAmerican Revolution. During the revolutionary period, political influences affected the issuance of Thanksgiving proclamations. Various proclamations were made byroyal governors, and conversely bypatriot leaders, such asJohn Hancock, GeneralGeorge Washington, and theContinental Congress,[22] each giving thanks to God for events favorable to their causes.[23] As the first President of the United States, George Washington proclaimed the first nationwide thanksgiving celebration in America marking November 26, 1789, "as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God",[24] and calling on Americans to "unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions."[25]
Devotees inFlorida,New England,Texas andVirginia have maintained contradictory claims to having held the first Thanksgiving celebration in what became the United States. The question is complicated by the concept of Thanksgiving as either a holiday celebration or a religious service. James Baker maintains, "The American holiday's true origin was the New EnglandCalvinist Thanksgiving. Never coupled with a Sabbath meeting, the Puritan observances were special days set aside during the week for thanksgiving and praise in response to God's providence."[14] Baker calls the debate a "tempest in a beanpot" and "marvelous nonsense" based on regional claims.[14] Momentum for inclusion of Plymouth in the founding myths of the United was due to the influence of theOld Colony Club, who feared that Plymouth was being overshadowed by events in other colonies, including the American Revolution.[26]
In 1963, PresidentJohn F. Kennedy acknowledged both the Virginia andMassachusetts claims. Kennedy issued Proclamation 3560 on November 5, 1963, stating, "Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia and in Massachusetts, far from home in a lonely wilderness, set aside a time of thanksgiving. On the appointed day, they gave reverent thanks for their safety, for the health of their children, for the fertility of their fields, for the love which bound them together, and for the faith which united them with their God."[27]
Other claims include an earlier religious service by Spanish explorers atSan Elizario inTexas in 1598.[28][citation needed] Historians Robyn Gioia andMichael Gannon of theUniversity of Florida argue that the earliest Thanksgiving service in what is now the United States was celebrated by theSpanish community on September 8, 1565, in currentSaint Augustine, Florida.[29][30][1] The thanksgiving at St. Augustine was celebrated 56 years before the Puritan Pilgrim thanksgiving at Plymouth Plantation (Massachusetts), but it did not become the origin of a national annual tradition.[2]
Fixing a date
Canada
The earlier Thanksgiving celebrations in Canada has been attributed to the earlier onset of winter in the North, thus ending the harvest season earlier.[31] Thanksgiving in Canada did not have a fixed date until the late 19th century. Prior toCanadian Confederation, many of the individual colonial governors of the Canadian provinces had declared their own days of Thanksgiving. The first official Canadian Thanksgiving occurred on April 15, 1872, when the nation was celebrating thePrince of Wales' recovery from a serious illness.[31]
By the end of the 19th century, Thanksgiving Day was normally celebrated on November 6 (see alsoGuy Fawkes Night discussed above). In the late 19th century, the militia staged "sham battles" for public entertainment on Thanksgiving Day. The militia agitated for an earlier date for the holiday, so they could use the warmer weather to draw bigger crowds.[32] However, when theFirst World War ended, theArmistice Day holiday was usually held during the same week. To prevent the two holidays from clashing with one another, in 1957 theCanadian Parliament proclaimed Thanksgiving to be observed on its present date on the second Monday of October.[8]
United States
Thanksgiving in the United States has been observed on differing dates. From the time of theFounding Fathers untilAbraham Lincoln made it a national holiday in 1863, the date of observance varied from state to state. The final Thursday in November had become the customary date in most U.S. states by the beginning of the 19th century, coinciding with, and eventually superseding the holiday ofEvacuation Day (commemorating the day the British exited the United States after the Revolutionary War).[33] Influenced by New EnglanderSarah Josepha Hale, who wrote letters to politicians for approximately 40 years advocating an official holiday, Lincoln set national Thanksgiving by proclamation for the final Thursday in November in celebration of the bounties that had continued to fall on the Union and for the military successes in the war, also calling on the American people, "with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience ... fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation...."[34] Because of the ongoingCivil War, a nationwide Thanksgiving celebration was not realized untilReconstruction in the 1870s.
On October 31, 1939, PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt signed apresidential proclamation changing the holiday to the next to last Thursday in November in an effort to boost the economy.[35] The earlier date created an extra seven days forChristmas shopping since at that time retailers never began promoting the Christmas season until after Thanksgiving. But making the proclamation so close to the change wreaked havoc on the holiday schedules of many people, schools, and businesses, and most Americans were not in favor of the change. Some of those who opposed the change dubbed the holiday "Franksgiving" that year. Some state governors went along with the change while others stuck with the original November 30 date for the holiday, and three states — Colorado, Mississippi, and Texas — observed both dates.[36] The double Thanksgiving continued for two more years, and then on December 26, 1941, Roosevelt signed ajoint resolution of Congress changing the official national Thanksgiving Day to the fourth Thursday in November starting in 1942 (there are usually four but sometimes five Thursdays in November, depending on the year).[37]
In theAustralian external territory ofNorfolk Island, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the last Wednesday of November, similar to the pre–World War II American observance on the last Thursday of the month. Due to the time difference of between 14 and 17 hours, this means the Norfolk Island observance is two days before or five days after the United States' observance. The holiday was brought to the island by visiting Americanwhaling ships.[40]
Thanksgiving (French:l'Action de grâce), occurring on the second Monday in October, is an annual Canadianholiday togive thanks at the close of the harvest season. Although the original act of Parliament referencesGod and the holiday is celebrated in churches, the holiday is mostly celebrated in asecular manner. Thanksgiving is astatutory holiday in all provinces in Canada, except forNew Brunswick andNova Scotia. While businesses may remain open in these provinces, the holiday is nonetheless recognized and celebrated regardless of its status.[42][43][44][45][46]
Germany
A food decoration for Erntedankfest, aChristian Thanksgiving harvest festival celebrated inGermany
The Harvest Thanksgiving Festival,Erntedankfest, is a popularChristian festival in some German municipalities on the first Sunday of October. The festival has a significant religious component, and many churches are decorated with autumn crops. In some places, there arereligious processions or parades.[47]
Liberia
In the West African country of Liberia, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the first Thursday of November.[48] In 1883, theLegislature of Liberia enacted a statute declaring this day as a national holiday.[49] Thanksgiving is celebrated in the country in large part due to the nation's founding as a colony of theAmerican Colonization Society in 1821 by former slaves andfree people of color from the United States. However, the Liberian celebration of the holiday is notably different from the American celebration. While some Liberian families chose to celebrate with a feast or cook out, it is not considered a staple of the holiday and there is no specific food heavily associated with Thanksgiving. Some chose to celebrate the holiday by attending religious ceremonies, while others take it as a day for relaxation. Others view the holiday as an imposition from the American settlers of the country. In the years following thesecond civil war, some Liberians have taken the holiday as a time to be thankful for this new period peace and relative stability.[50][51]
Many of the Pilgrims who migrated to thePlymouth Plantation resided inLeiden from 1609 to 1620, and had recorded their births, marriages, and deaths at thePieterskerk. In commemoration, a non-denominational Thanksgiving Day service is held each year on the morning of the American Thanksgiving Day in the Pieterskerk, aGothic church in Leiden, noting the hospitality the Pilgrims received in Leiden on their way to theNew World.[52]
Thanksgiving is observed by orthodox Protestant churches in the Netherlands on the first Wednesday in November (Dankdag [nl]). It is not a public holiday. Those who observe the day either go to church in the evening or take the day off and go to church in the morning (and occasionally afternoon) too.
Philippines
As anAmerican colony from 1901 to 1946, thePhilippines observed Thanksgiving as a special public holiday on the same day as the United States.[53] During theJapanese occupation inWorld War II, both Americans and Filipinos celebrated Thanksgiving in secret. After the Japanese defeat in 1945, the tradition continued until 1969.[54] In 1973,PresidentFerdinand Marcos issued Proclamation 1180, changing the date to September 21, altering the holiday as a celebration of hisimposition of martial law a year prior.[55] This continued untilMarcos' ouster in 1986.[56] Since theFifth Republic, with no proclamations declaring the observance of Thanksgiving, it is no longer a public holiday in the country.[57]
Saint Lucia
The nation of Saint Lucia celebrates Thanksgiving on the first Monday in October.[58]
TheHarvest Festival of Thanksgiving does not have an official date in the United Kingdom; however, it is traditionally held on or near the Sunday of theharvest moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox. Harvest Thanksgiving in Britain also has pre-Christian roots when the Saxons would offer the first sheaf of barley, oats, or wheat to fertility gods. When the harvest was finally collected, communities would come together for a harvest supper.[59] When Christianity arrived in Britain many traditions remained, and today the Harvest Festival is marked by churches and schools in late September/early October (same as Canada) with singing, praying and decorating with baskets of food and fruit to celebrate a successful harvest and to give thanks.[60] Collections of food are usually held which are then given to local charities which help the homeless and those in need.
Historically, theEastern Counties celebration ofhockey (more recently spelled "horkey" to distinguish it from the sport of the same name) bore a close resemblance to Thanksgiving feasts. It was already a nostalgic celebration of bygone traditions by the 19th century, and died out in the 1920s.[61]
American Thanksgiving has grown in popularity in the United Kingdom in the 2020s, driven by the presence of American expatriates in the country, the appeal of the holiday's cuisine, its depiction in media, and Britons' embrace of the holiday's purpose of gratitude and generosity.[62]
A family sayinggrace before Thanksgiving dinner inNeffsville, Pennsylvania in 1942Autumnal colors are commonly associated with Thanksgiving.[63]
In theUnited States, Thanksgiving is an annual tradition that was federally formalized through an 1863presidential proclamation byAbraham Lincoln, but was implemented as state legislation since the nation's founding.
In 1941, federal legislation by theUnited States Congress formalized Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November.
The holiday traditionally has been a celebration of the blessings of the year, including the harvest.[64] On Thanksgiving Day, it is common for Americans to share a family meal, attendchurch services, and view special sporting events.[65]
What Americans call the "Holiday Season" generally begins with Thanksgiving.[69] The first day after Thanksgiving Day—Black Friday—marks the start of the Christmas shopping season.[70]
Thanksgiving is usually celebrated with a family meal. Beginning in the 2010s, a new tradition has emerged to also celebrate Thanksgiving with a meal with friends, as a separate event on a different day or an alternate event on Thanksgiving Day. This is referred to asFriendsgiving.[71]
In the West Indian island ofGrenada, in theCaribbean, there is a national holiday known as Thanksgiving Day which is celebrated on October 25. Even though it bears the same name, and is celebrated at roughly the same time as the American and Canadian versions of Thanksgiving, this holiday is unrelated to either of those celebrations. Instead, the holiday marks the anniversary of the U.S.-ledinvasion of the island in 1983, in response to thedeposition and execution of the socialist Grenadian Prime MinisterMaurice Bishop[72] by a military government from within his own party.
Labor Thanksgiving Day (勤労感謝の日,Kinrō Kansha no Hi) is anational holiday in Japan. It takes place annually on November 23. The law establishing the holiday, which was adopted during theAmerican occupation after World War II, cites it as an occasion for commemoratinglabor and production and giving each other thanks. It has roots in the ancientShinto harvest ceremony (Niiname-sai (新嘗祭)).
^abDowdy, Clifford (1957).The Great Plantation. Rinehart and Co. pp. 29–37.
^Mills, David; Neilson Bonikowsky, Laura; McIntosh, Andrew."Thanksgiving in Canada".Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada.Archived from the original on October 12, 2015. RetrievedOctober 6, 2017.
^abcSolski, Ruth "Canada's Traditions and Celebrations" McGill-Queen's Press,ISBN1550356941 p. 12
^abDuncan, Dorothy (September 16, 2006).Canadians at Table: Food, Fellowship, and Folklore: A Culinary History of Canada. Dundurn.ISBN978-1-77070-235-6.
^Julian S, The Boston Globe (November 20, 1996)."HISTORY IS SERVED".chicagotribune.com.Archived from the original on August 26, 2017. RetrievedNovember 30, 2019.
^Kaufman, Jason Andrew (2009).The origins of Canadian and American political differences. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. p. 28.ISBN978-0674031364.
^Klos, Stanley."Thanksgiving Day Proclamations".Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamations. Historic.us.Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. RetrievedOctober 16, 2013.
^David J. Silverman (2019).This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving Hardcover. Bloomsbury Publishing.ISBN978-1632869241.
^"Dia Nacional de Ações de Graças".Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública (in Brazilian Portuguese).Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. RetrievedNovember 29, 2019.
^"Harvest Festival".resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk. Archived fromthe original on June 23, 2015. RetrievedJune 18, 2015 – via projectbritain.com.
^Change in the Farm (1934), quoted inVillage Life and Labour, an anthology, Cambridge University 2011,pp.92-3
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