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Thanksgiving is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November (which became the uniform date country-wide in 1941). [2] [3] Outside the United States, it is sometimes called American Thanksgiving to distinguish it from the Canadian holiday of the same name and related celebrations in other regions.
When did Thanksgiving become a national holiday? More than 160 years after the 1621 feast, President George Washington declared Nov. 26, 1789, as a day of prayer and thanksgiving.
Find out how Thanksgiving got its start, plus facts about the first meal. ... Thanksgiving is an important holiday for families across America. We love to gather for a feast of turkey and all of ...
How did Thanksgiving start? ... “The myths of Thanksgiving marginalize the truth of what really happened in North America. We need to understand, acknowledge, and share that true history ...
The Thanksgiving holiday's history in North America is rooted in English traditions dating from the Protestant Reformation. It also has aspects of a harvest festival , even though the harvest in New England occurs well before the late-November date on which the modern Thanksgiving holiday is celebrated.
Several presidents opposed days of national thanksgiving, with Thomas Jefferson openly denouncing such a proclamation. [19] That was seen as ironic because Jefferson had proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving while he was the governor of Virginia. By 1855, 16 states celebrated Thanksgiving (14 on the fourth Thursday of November, and two on the third).
While this tradition of Thanksgiving dates back over 400 years, the holiday did not become official until the mid-1800s, and the date was not solidified until almost 100 years after that.
In 1963, President John F. Kennedy started his Thanksgiving proclamation with the words "Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia and in Massachusetts, far from home in a lonely wilderness, set aside a time of thanksgiving," but did not identify the Massachusetts "time of thanksgiving" with the 1621 event. [25]