Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. This year the date of the holiday fell on November 25th. What are the most interesting traditions of this holiday? Read in our material
How Thanksgiving came to be
Thanksgiving is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. Because it was in the last month of autumn, back in 1620, that the first English settlers landed on the shores of North America. Most of them died, unable to withstand the cold and hunger. Those who survived were lent a helping hand by the representatives of the indigenous population of America - the Indians. They helped to cultivate the soil and get the first crop. He turned out to be extremely rich. In honor of this, the governor of the first settlers proposed to organize a holiday - as a token of gratitude to God.
This is how this tradition came about. It became a national holiday in the 18th century. Then US President George Washington proposed to celebrate it on November 26. And already in the 20th century, in 1941, the US Congress determined that Thanksgiving Day would be celebrated every Thursday in November.
Thanksgiving is a family gathering / istockphoto.com
What are the traditions of Thanksgiving
Everyone is trying to spend this day with their families. Everyone gathers at the table, the main dish of which is turkey. How did this gastronomic tradition come about?
The fact is that it was thanks to the turkey that the first settlers survived. There was a lot of it in the forests of North America. Over time, it was domesticated. Due to its rapid growth and impressive size, this bird was raised on many farms.
It is customary to serve cranberry sauce with baked turkey. And also on the table on Thanksgiving Day must be pumpkin pie and many different gifts of nature: apples, pears, grapes, nuts. All of this symbolizes abundance and wealth.
A Turkey Pardon Ceremony takes place every year. The President of the United States "pardons" the turkey presented to him and sends it to live in the zoo.
On this day, it is customary to do good deeds, various kinds of charity are welcomed, and grandiose Christmas sales start.
It will also be interesting for you to read:
Children's birthday: 17 traditions that will be remembered for a lifetime
