Most Americans learned of the history of Thanksgiving in elementary school, often reenacting the pilgrims’ voyage on the Mayflower to the new land. The winter of 1620 took great toil on the pilgrims and they struggled to have enough food to survive. The colonists (or pilgrims) developed a relationship with the Wampanoag Indians, where the Indians taught the colonists how to hunt and fish to survive. That summer the colonists produced such a large harvest that they had enough food for a three-day fall feast. One of the first Thanksgiving celebrations took place in 1621, where the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians shared the autumn harvest feast.
According to history.com, for more than two centuries, colonies and states celebrated days of thanksgiving. However, we may need to give thanks to Sarah Josepha Hale, who initiated the national holiday. Hale started a letter writing campaign urging politicians to establish a national holiday of Thanksgiving to help unite a nation heading toward Civil War. In 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day celebrated each November. History.com provides an interesting video documentary of the history of Thanksgiving.
Over time, the celebration expanded to other American traditions such as football and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. In the 1920’s, the National Football League was formed and Thanksgiving Day games originated in Detroit to boost stadium attendance for the Detroit Lions. In 1924, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade started another tradition in New York City that continues to this day. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade started the kickoff to the holiday shopping season that we now hear of as Black Friday. According to wikipedia, the name Black Friday started in Philadelphia where it was used to describe the heavy and unmanageable pedestrian and vehicle traffic on the day after Thanksgiving. Another explanation for Black Friday indicates the time where retailers turn a profit, or are “in the black.”
Thanksgiving Day you’ll find many American families or friends getting together for their own dinner, circling the televisions for hours of football, only wishing to break at half time to begin the feast. However, much more than the tradition of food, fun and sport, is simply described in the name: Thanksgiving. Giving thanks for all our blessings large and small that we tend to take for granted in our daily lives. The simple breath that fills our lungs and grants us life to love with gratitude: our family, our friends, our homes, our health, our country and ourselves. Happy Thanksgiving!
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