On the fourth Thursday in November, Americans celebrate one of their favorite holidays - Thanksgiving Day. This memorable date is associated with many traditions that are interesting to curious travelers. Thanksgiving Day in the USA- a public holiday that has lost its religious roots and has become a national holiday. This year it falls on November 22.
The roots of the holiday
Initially Thanksgiving Day in the USA meant expressing gratitude to God for a good harvest. The very idea of celebrating the end of autumn in this way dates back to ancient times and is found among many peoples. For the Americans, the holiday originates from the first settlers. Pilgrims seeking refuge in the New World arrived from England to the newly reclaimed mainland in 1620. Already in the first winter, half of the Puritans died of hunger and disease - the region turned out to be too harsh. The survivors created the Plymouth Colony and developed relationships with the Aborigines. The Squanto Indians taught their new neighbors to build houses suitable for the climate, helped them to establish a life and economy, taught them how to hunt and understand plants. Note that the Americans also learned from the Indians to grow pumpkins, cook wild turkeys and make maple syrup. In 1621, things went smoothly, the colonists reaped a good harvest and, according to tradition, held a small feast in gratitude to heaven, where the Indians were invited. This is how the first Thanksgiving Day in the United States passed.
With the light hand of the first President George Washington in 1789, the holiday became a state holiday and so loved that in 1864, at that time, even hostilities stopped during the Civil War. The final date of the celebration was determined only in 1941 - President Franklin Roosevelt established that Thanksgiving Day would be celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November.
Thanksgiving Traditions
Thanksgiving Day in the USA celebrated by absolutely all residents, regardless of religion. In the morning, some go to church, while others devote time to a future meal. On this day, Americans sacredly observe the tradition of gathering at the festive table in the house of older family members. An indispensable attribute of the holiday is stuffed turkey with cranberry jam. Most often the hostess cooks the bird, but only the father of the family cuts it. Pieces of meat are distributed according to seniority - this is how Americans teach the younger generation to respect their elders. Spiced apple cider, sweet yams and pumpkin pie are also served. All family members thank each other for all the good things that happened to them in the past year, and start eating the turkey.
At this moment, a funny symbolic ceremony of pardoning a turkey is being held in the White House. At least one bird should avoid being eaten on this wonderful good holiday. A couple of months before the ceremony, photos of 30 of the most delicious turkeys are published on the site, and the Americans themselves choose the lucky one by voting. For a long time, the candidate is being prepared for a solemn meeting with the President of the United States: they are taught not to peck at and not be afraid of strangers. The bird must have an understudy - they must serve someone for dinner at the White House. During the ceremony, the president reads a pardon decree by stroking a happy bird. Then the turkey is sent to the zoo for life. And in 2008, the pardoned bird went to live in Disneyland.
Colorful parades
While the Americans sit at a festive dinner, tourists besiege the streets of New York. Indeed, how can you sit at home when the largest department store chain Macy’s traditionally organizes colorful parades! Favorite cartoon and comic book characters, funny figures, acrobats and clowns unite in a grand parade across the northwest part of Manhattan. Please note that getting to the event is not easy: lines start from 79th Street and Columbus Avenue. It is best to watch the show between 60th and 70th Streets, but it is not recommended to stand on Herald Square and 34th and 38th Streets. As a last resort, if you can't see anything, don't be discouraged: the air figures will blow off at the end of the celebration at 34th Street and 6th Avenue. In other cities in the United States, parades also attract many spectators. It is better to find out the exact time of their start on the official websites of the cities. For example, in New York in previous years, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicked off at 09:00.
After the show, you can go on a Manhattan sightseeing cruise. The city is fabulously beautiful in the evening. Festive dinners are prepared on almost all ships, so you won't miss your portion of turkey.
Another good tradition of the holiday is charity. On this day, the president himself personally feeds those in need in order to set a good example for his people. Also on Thanksgiving Day in the United States, the final matches of national football are held, so the entire male population does not leave television screens after a hearty dinner.
Well, the next day, for which many travelers are planning a trip to America, is called "Black Friday" (because of the large traffic jams in cities). All over the country, the long-awaited sales season begins, where you can get great things at ridiculous prices. In the USA, they begin to decorate
Thanksgiving Day - a national holiday in the USA and Canada, was originally invented to express gratitude to God for the harvest. Now, the motive of the holiday is the expression of gratitude to their relatives and friends. Despite the fact that Thanksgiving Day is a religious holiday, it is celebrated by many people regardless of their religious or cultural beliefs.
When is Thanksgiving Day?
In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October and in the United States on the last Thursday in November. There are similar holidays all over the world, but they have different names and are held on different days. In the United States, this holiday is very popular, and it is believed that only turkeys do not celebrate it.
The first Thanksgiving Day in America was held in the city of Plymouth in 1621. The festival was organized by pilgrims from Europe, together with invited local Indians who helped them survive in unfamiliar conditions. Since the 1660s, the festival has been held annually.
It is believed that Sarah Joseph Hale, the author of the famous American song "Mary Had a Lamb," persuaded Abraham Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. Since 1863, the 16th President has declared the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving.
Turkey is a traditional Thanksgiving dish. Every year on this day, US residents consume about 280 million turkeys. According to tradition, on the eve of Thanksgiving, the President of the United States pardons one of the turkeys, which guarantees the bird will spend the rest of its life in peace and not be on the festive table.
The Friday after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. From this day, the famous Christmas sales start.
Thanksgiving Day is a public holiday in the United States celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. In 2012, it falls on November 22. This is one of the most popular holidays in the country.
The very idea of celebrating autumn and the end of the harvest dates back to ancient times. However, the Americans' holiday traces its history back to the first settlers who arrived from England to America at the end of 1620 after a two-month voyage on the Mayflower ship. The passengers, a group of English pilgrims fleeing religious persecution in their homeland, embarked on such a dangerous journey in the hope of founding a colony in the New World where they could finally find the longed-for freedom.
The first year in the new place turned out to be very harsh. The settlers had to endure hunger, cold, hardships and diseases. After a harsh winter, during which about half of the settlers died, they, with the help of Indian neighbors, learned to grow corn and other crops adapted to local conditions, distinguish edible from poisonous plants, find springs with drinking water, hunting trails and fishing grounds. In the fall of 1621, the colonists reaped a good harvest, for which they decided to thank the Lord by arranging a festive meal. For the holiday, which lasted three days, Indians were invited to help the colonists.
It was the first Thanksgiving. It is believed that this holiday originated from the European tradition of celebrating Harvest Day. In subsequent years, the colonists arranged a celebration only when the harvest was good, and then from time to time. Over time, the holiday has lost its religious significance.
In different states, the holiday was celebrated on different days, and then began to coincide with military victories.
For a long time, the holiday was unofficial in New England. The first official Thanksgiving Day was declared in 1777 by the Continental Congress, which established December 18, 1777 as Thanksgiving Day.
In 1789, the first President of the United States, George Washington, proclaimed this holiday a national event and, at the request of Congress, set the date - November 26, Thursday. But Thanksgiving became an entirely national holiday in 1863, during the Civil War, when President Abraham Lincoln announced that the last Thursday in November would henceforth be celebrated as Thanksgiving. True, already in 1865 the holiday was celebrated on the first Thursday of November - this is how US President Andrew Johnson proclaimed. In 1869, President Ulysses Grant chose the third Thursday for Thanksgiving. In other years, Thanksgiving was celebrated on the last Thursday in November.
In 1939-1941, President Franklin Roosevelt moved the holiday to the penultimate Thursday in November to expand the Christmas shopping season. But the postponement caused a rift among states - 23 states celebrated Thanksgiving on the last Thursday in November, the other 23 states on the penultimate Thursday. The rest of the states declared both Thursdays to be holidays. After two years of confusion and complaints, on December 26, 1941, US President Roosevelt signed into law a law establishing Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November. The holiday is celebrated at the present time.
Over the years of its existence, the holiday has developed a number of traditions that Americans sacredly preserve and observe. It is customary to celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the house of a family elder with relatives. On it, relatives and friends come from all over the country to sit at a common table filled with traditional treats. This is certainly turkey (in various versions of its preparation), sweet potatoes yams with whipped flower sauce, cranberry sauce, filling of rusks with spices, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie and gravy - what, according to historians, was on the tables of colonists in the distant XVII century.
The house is decorated with autumn attributes - bouquets of orange, gold, brown chrysanthemums and branches with berries, which are identified with this year's rich harvest.
Before starting a meal, be it with family or friends, it is customary to offer thanks for these gifts, including the joy of meeting on the occasion of the holiday. If someone is left without a festive dinner, then charitable organizations will invite him. On this day, the president himself helps to feed the homeless, the poor and the elderly, putting generous portions on their plates. The head of state must show the country an example of charity.
Another tradition of the holiday is the solemn one, which is held in the White House on the eve of the holiday. In accordance with this tradition, at least one turkey should avoid the fate of being on the festive table.
The tradition of honoring a turkey on Thanksgiving Day, according to the most common version, began in 1947, when the National Turkey Federation (National Turkey Federation) first gave a bird to US President Harry Truman. However, until 1989, presidential turkeys were sent to the festive table of the head of state, and only in 1963, President John F. Kennedy broke the tradition and left the bird received as a gift alive.
The first official ceremony of pardoning a turkey was conducted by George W. Bush in 1989. Since then, every year the turkey and its "stunt double" (the stunt double is chosen in case something suddenly happens to the first bird before the ceremony) get rid of the prospect of being fried and go to some of the children's parks.
Another attribute of the holiday is parades, most of them costumed - in 17th century clothes and Indian costumes. The most famous parade is held annually in New York City. Organized by the world's largest department store chain Macy's since the 1920s, the parade's main attraction is the oversized inflatable toys (characters from cartoons, fairy tales and TV shows) carried from Central Park to the department store entrance (between Seventh Avenue and Broadway.) The parade is televised and fireworks display over the East-River, which separates New York from Brooklyn in the evening.
There is also a tradition of writing songs for Thanksgiving. One of the relatively new traditions of Thanksgiving is watching a match between the teams of the National Fubal League (NFL).
After Thanksgiving, traditional Christmas sales begin across America.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources
Thanksgiving Day is one of the most popular holidays in the United States. Thanksgiving is associated with a number of traditions that Americans sacredly cherish and observe. All family members must go to church, and after the service, gather at the festive table and taste the baked turkey.
1. The first 10 days of Thanksgiving were turkey-free.
When the first settlers and Indians first gathered for the celebration, they ate swan, seal and lobster meat and maize.
2. Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving as an official holiday.
Until 1863, there was not a single official record of this holiday. Only after President Lincoln received a letter from the publisher of one of the local magazines, the holiday was declared official.
3. Since 1934, Americans have traditionally watched football on this day.
The only exceptions to this tradition are Thanksgiving in 1939 and 1944, during World War II.
4. The Thanksgiving Day Parade is the most popular in the United States and Canada.
The first Thanksgiving parade was held by Macy Company in New York in 1924. On that day, Macy employees paraded zoo animals on the streets of Manhattan.
5. I celebrate Thanksgiving even in space.
According to the astronauts themselves, Thanksgiving in space is the most memorable holiday.
6. The night before Thanksgiving is one of the most lucrative nights in bars in the USA.
The overwhelming majority of Americans come home on the eve of the holiday and bars are one of their favorite places of pastime.
7. Each year, the president publicly asks for forgiveness from two turkeys.
Back in 1947, President Truman established the tradition of picking two turkeys by popular vote each year and sending them to live out their days in peace on some celebrity farm.
8. It is believed that turkey causes a "food coma".
Often after a festive meal, many people fall into the so-called "food coma", the symptoms of which are drowsiness and a feeling of laziness. Some people believe that the cause of this "coma" is the tryptophan contained in the meat of the idea, but the only proven cause of this amazing "disease" is gluttony.
9. More than 45 million turkeys are sold annually for Thanksgiving.
According to statistics, 1/6 of the sales of all turkeys sold annually in the United States are due on Thanksgiving. This equates to approximately 45 million birds, with a total cost of $ 5 billion.
10. The day after Thanksgiving is called "Black Friday".
It is from Black Friday that the traditional Christmas sales season begins in the United States. On Black Friday, shops open very early - around 5 am, and some of the largest retail chains even open at midnight.
Thanksgiving Day is a public holiday in the United States celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. In 2012, it falls on November 22. This is one of the most popular holidays in the country.
The very idea of celebrating autumn and the end of the harvest dates back to ancient times. However, the Americans' holiday traces its history back to the first settlers who arrived from England to America at the end of 1620 after a two-month voyage on the Mayflower ship. The passengers, a group of English pilgrims fleeing religious persecution in their homeland, embarked on such a dangerous journey in the hope of founding a colony in the New World where they could finally find the longed-for freedom.
The first year in the new place turned out to be very harsh. The settlers had to endure hunger, cold, hardships and diseases. After a harsh winter, during which about half of the settlers died, they, with the help of Indian neighbors, learned to grow corn and other crops adapted to local conditions, distinguish edible from poisonous plants, find springs with drinking water, hunting trails and fishing grounds. In the fall of 1621, the colonists reaped a good harvest, for which they decided to thank the Lord by arranging a festive meal. For the holiday, which lasted three days, Indians were invited to help the colonists.
It was the first Thanksgiving. It is believed that this holiday originated from the European tradition of celebrating Harvest Day. In subsequent years, the colonists arranged a celebration only when the harvest was good, and then from time to time. Over time, the holiday has lost its religious significance.
In different states, the holiday was celebrated on different days, and then began to coincide with military victories.
For a long time, the holiday was unofficial in New England. The first official Thanksgiving Day was declared in 1777 by the Continental Congress, which established December 18, 1777 as Thanksgiving Day.
In 1789, the first President of the United States, George Washington, proclaimed this holiday a national event and, at the request of Congress, set the date - November 26, Thursday. But Thanksgiving became an entirely national holiday in 1863, during the Civil War, when President Abraham Lincoln announced that the last Thursday in November would henceforth be celebrated as Thanksgiving. True, already in 1865 the holiday was celebrated on the first Thursday of November - this is how US President Andrew Johnson proclaimed. In 1869, President Ulysses Grant chose the third Thursday for Thanksgiving. In other years, Thanksgiving was celebrated on the last Thursday in November.
In 1939-1941, President Franklin Roosevelt moved the holiday to the penultimate Thursday in November to expand the Christmas shopping season. But the postponement caused a rift among states - 23 states celebrated Thanksgiving on the last Thursday in November, the other 23 states on the penultimate Thursday. The rest of the states declared both Thursdays to be holidays. After two years of confusion and complaints, on December 26, 1941, US President Roosevelt signed into law a law establishing Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November. The holiday is celebrated at the present time.
Over the years of its existence, the holiday has developed a number of traditions that Americans sacredly preserve and observe. It is customary to celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the house of a family elder with relatives. On it, relatives and friends come from all over the country to sit at a common table filled with traditional treats. This is certainly turkey (in various versions of its preparation), sweet potatoes yams with whipped flower sauce, cranberry sauce, filling of rusks with spices, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie and gravy - what, according to historians, was on the tables of colonists in the distant XVII century.
The house is decorated with autumn attributes - bouquets of orange, gold, brown chrysanthemums and branches with berries, which are identified with this year's rich harvest.
Before starting a meal, be it with family or friends, it is customary to offer thanks for these gifts, including the joy of meeting on the occasion of the holiday. If someone is left without a festive dinner, then charitable organizations will invite him. On this day, the president himself helps to feed the homeless, the poor and the elderly, putting generous portions on their plates. The head of state must show the country an example of charity.
Another tradition of the holiday is the solemn one, which is held in the White House on the eve of the holiday. In accordance with this tradition, at least one turkey should avoid the fate of being on the festive table.
The tradition of honoring a turkey on Thanksgiving Day, according to the most common version, began in 1947, when the National Turkey Federation (National Turkey Federation) first gave a bird to US President Harry Truman. However, until 1989, presidential turkeys were sent to the festive table of the head of state, and only in 1963, President John F. Kennedy broke the tradition and left the bird received as a gift alive.
The first official ceremony of pardoning a turkey was conducted by George W. Bush in 1989. Since then, every year the turkey and its "stunt double" (the stunt double is chosen in case something suddenly happens to the first bird before the ceremony) get rid of the prospect of being fried and go to some of the children's parks.
Another attribute of the holiday is parades, most of them costumed - in 17th century clothes and Indian costumes. The most famous parade is held annually in New York City. Organized by the world's largest department store chain Macy's since the 1920s, the parade's main attraction is the oversized inflatable toys (characters from cartoons, fairy tales and TV shows) carried from Central Park to the department store entrance (between Seventh Avenue and Broadway.) The parade is televised and fireworks display over the East-River, which separates New York from Brooklyn in the evening.
There is also a tradition of writing songs for Thanksgiving. One of the relatively new traditions of Thanksgiving is watching a match between the teams of the National Fubal League (NFL).
After Thanksgiving, traditional Christmas sales begin across America.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources
