The Legacy of Thanks Giving Day in The Us

The Legacy of Thanks Giving Day in the US!

Image by George Eastman House via Flickr

Thanks Giving Day is a unique day in the history of US. It was born out of rich American legacy and heritage. It is a colorful day marked by festival mood, joy and celebration. It is the most meaningful day than any other festival in the history of US. It has a 400 years old History. Though it was born as a simple thanks giving day to the Almighty by a group of the colonial people, it gradually gained momentum and significance and evolved into a day of national importance over the years by the government support extended to it.

Each year Thanks Giving Day falls on the last Thurs day of November.

Thanks Giving Day is a National Holiday for the American people. In the year 2009, Thanks Giving Day falls on November 26 and the date slightly varies in each year according to the variation in the occurrence of the last Thurs Day of November in each year. When the month of November has five Thurs Days in a particular year, naturally the date varies. For example, the Thanks Giving Day falls on November 26, in the year 2009, on November 25, in the year 2010, on November 24, in the year 2011, on November 29 in the year 2012 and on November 28, in the year 2013.

The history of the Thanks Giving Day should be traced to the early part of the 17 the century.

Generally it is believed that the Thanks Giving Day originated in the year 1621, when the Plymouth Colonists and the Wampanoag Indians joined together to share an autumn harvest festival.

However, it is also believed, that the seeds of Thanks Giving Day were sown in the year 1619, when a group of British settlers led by Captain John Wood lief knelt down before the God to pray pledging ‘Thanks Giving to Him for their safe and healthy arrival after a long voyage all the way from England across the turbulent Atlantic ocean.

However, the Thanks Giving Day celebration was revived only after two centuries, in the year 1822.

In the year 1863, US President  Abraham Lincoln declared that the final Thurs day in November of each year as a National Holiday for Thanks Giving.

It was Sarah Josepha, an American magazine editor and the author of the very famous poem ‘Mary had a little Lamb who constantly campaigned and strived hard in the mid 19 the century to get declared Thanks Giving Day as a National Holiday.

In the year 1941, recognizing its historical legacy, the US Congress finally made Thanks Giving Day an official National Holiday.

In the year 2001, the US postal service issued a stamp commemorating the Thanks Giving Day. The stamp depicted cornucopia overflowing with fruits and vegetables under the phrase ‘We give Thanks. It signified that the Thanks Giving Day was essentially a harvest festival.

Image via Wikipedia

Thanks Giving Day is very famous for its spicy and delicious dinner. Being a holiday, people travel extensively on this day to convey their wishes to their kith and kin. Cranberry, Blue berry and Concord Grape are the three fruits that invariably occupy the dining table on the Thanks Giving Day. Roasted Turkey is a special item that becomes the part of Thanks Giving Day dinner. Throughout US, Turkey is extensively consumed on the Thanks Giving Day. On the Thanks Giving Day dinner, it is usual and customary that the elders will be sitting in the dining table and the youngsters will be serving them their delicious dinner as a mark of respect.

Another important event that adds color to the Thanks Giving Day is Macy’s Christmas parade that originally began in the year 1924 in the New York City, to signify the launch of the Christmas Shopping season. Today some three million people participate in the parade and nearly 44 million people watch it on the television.

On November 26, US is celebrating the Thanks Giving Day as usual with all pomp and glory, but somewhat with a low key profile, the reason being that the country is yet to fully recover from the impact of recession.