We all know Thanksgiving, but do we know how and when this national holiday of the United States originated? What do turkeys and pumpkins have to do with this? Thanksgiving on Thursday and the day after a free day! What are Americans doing on Black Friday or Black Friday? From a fun party among all family members to a shopping day in preparation for Christmas…
Thanksgiving Day, a big family party with a historical background
How did this party come about?
Apart from the question of whether the ‘Pilgrim Fathers’ ate turkey on their first Thanksgiving, this poultry is inextricably linked to this holiday. William Bradford, governor of Massachusetts, is said to have declared this day for the first time in 1621 as a general holiday to symbolize fraternization between settlers and their Indian neighbors. The Indians helped them survive the first harsh winter in the New World. Another reason could be, according to historians, that the festival was intended to celebrate a military victory over a neighboring Indian tribe. It was after the War of Independence that George Washington declared this day a national holiday in 1789. The celebration was not as big and extensive as we know them now.
When is this day celebrated?
It was Abraham Lincoln who, in turn, revived Thanksgiving Day. It would have been celebrated on the last Thursday of November. President Franklin Roosevelt is said to have awarded this day more specifically to the fourth Thursday of the month of November in the 1940s. Because in Canada the harvest normally falls, Thanksgiving is formerly celebrated there. This on the second Monday of October. They call it the ,Canadian Thanksgiving Day., Almost all Americans and Canadians everywhere celebrate this holiday. It is a party that requires a lot of preparation, care and especially time.
How do Americans celebrate Thanksgiving?
The big feast where the whole family comes together remains at the center of Thanksgiving. Often the Americans drive or fly for hours to celebrate this party together. Everyone brings dishes for the feast, but no gifts. Dishes with pumpkin and cranberries are as important as the turkeys today as they helped the Pilgrim Fathers get through their first winter. If you do not have a family or you can not be at the family party due to circumstances, then there is a good chance that you will be invited to the table of friends or acquaintances. Sitting alone on Thanksgiving is usually not done.
Before the family at the table, there is usually also a ,football game, on the TV or they will take a look at the match of the local ,high school,. Pronouncing the prayer of thanks for the food lately has been a bit in the background, although just over half of Americans honor the tradition here too.
Parade of the parade
In large cities such as New York, a parade is held every year. In the parade of this city, the ,Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,, a lot of floats drive and walk whole groups with giant dolls and numerous super-sized balloons in all figures like Ronald Mac Donald, Tweetie, Batman or other superheroes. At the end of the Thanksgiving parade is the car with Santa’s sleigh. The children then know that he is in the country and that it will not be long before it is Christmas. Toy stores like to play in this. They are also represented at the parade…
A happy turkey
It is the custom that on this national holiday, and this since John F’s presidency. Kennedy, the President of the United States pardon a turkey. It will then be spared and not on the table as a dish. The turkey is called the National Thanksgiving Turkey and is the star on all TV channels for at least one day. During President Obama’s tenure, even two turkeys were ‘save’ in this way on a day. They may enjoy their life on a quiet farm, without having to worry about another imminent death as a Thanksgiving turkey.
Black Friday
The day after Thanksgiving, the whole family is free. On this day, Americans traditionally start shopping for Christmas. It is the busiest day in the year for retailers. This day in the United States is called Black Friday (Black Friday). This term comes probability from the big crowds on roads and around the shops. Another theory is that that day the shopkeepers are ,in black, and start making a profit. After all, they write losses in red ink.