Thanksgiving 2024: Know date, history, significance, how is it celebrated and more

First Published | Nov 28, 2024, 7:30 AM IST

Thanksgiving, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the US, is a time for families and friends to gather, express gratitude, and enjoy traditional meals. Its origins trace back to a 1621 harvest feast between the Wampanoag tribe and English colonists, but it wasn't declared a national holiday until 1863 by Abraham Lincoln.

One final holiday that brings friends and family together to share festive feasts, spend time together, and give thanks for the blessings comes after Halloween and before Christmas celebrations take over. We are discussing Thanksgiving. The United States has declared it a national holiday.

Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November every year, it is a cherished festival for Americans to gather with their friends and family in one place, show gratitude for their blessings, and enjoy scrumptious traditional meals.  Different countries celebrate this holiday on different dates.

It is celebrated on the second Monday in October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States. In addition, nations including India, the Netherlands, Australia, and Grenada take part in the celebrations.
 

Thanksgiving 2024: History and Significance

For the longest time, Thanksgiving's beginnings have never been properly portrayed. Nonetheless, a lot of people view the day as a chance to express appreciation and enjoy the company of loved ones. Football games, delicious cuisine, and the well-known Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade are also associated with the holiday. On Thanksgiving Day, the farmers traditionally gave thanks to God for their fall crop.
 

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The Wampanoag, a Native American tribe that had long inhabited the area, and the just arrived English colonists in America had a harvest feast in 1621, which is when the event first began. Additionally, the narrative is sometimes presented from the viewpoint of the white pilgrim.

But it wasn't until 1863 that it was declared a national holiday. George Washington declared Thursday, November 26, to be a public Thanksgiving day in 1789. According to the White House, it was the first Thanksgiving observed under the new constitution. Abraham Lincoln later proclaimed Thanksgiving a holiday and a day off for workers in 1863.

Thanksgiving 2024: How is this day celebrated?

Loved ones get together under one roof on Thanksgiving Day to share a large dinner, play games, and have a good time. In popular culture, on the fourth Thursday of November, people who live far from their families gather with their adopted family to celebrate Friendsgiving, a feast with a Thanksgiving theme. Thanksgiving staples include roast turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and cranberry sauce. Observing the Thanksgiving Day parades, particularly the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, is another tradition of the day.

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