What Did You Expect, a Turkey Card?

Thanksgiving is a holiday steeped in tradition, a time when family and friends gather to celebrate and give thanks for their blessings. But where did this beloved holiday come from, and how did it become the iconic celebration that it is today? The story of Thanksgiving is a long and fascinating one, dating back hundreds of years.

The origins of Thanksgiving can be traced back to the early days of America, long before the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock. Evidence suggests that Spanish explorers and settlers held thanksgiving services in Florida and New Mexico during the late 1500s, while in Virginia's Commonwealth, a thanksgiving was held in 1607, just a few years after the settlement of Jamestown.

It was not until 1621 that the Pilgrims held their famous Thanksgiving feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts, celebrating their first successful harvest in the New World. The event was attended by members of the local Wampanoag tribe, who had taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate the land and grow crops. The feast lasted for three days and included a menu of turkey, venison, fish, and various vegetables.

While the Pilgrims' Thanksgiving feast is the most well-known, it was not until many years later that Thanksgiving became an official holiday in the United States. In 1789, George Washington, the first president of the United States, declared a national day of Thanksgiving, calling for Americans to express gratitude for the new nation and the Constitution. However, the tradition never quite caught on, and it wasn't until the mid-19th century that Thanksgiving began to gain popularity.

During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln declared a national Thanksgiving Day to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November. The holiday was intended to foster unity and gratitude in a time of great division and strife. Over time, Thanksgiving became an important part of American culture, a time when families would come together to share a meal and give thanks for their blessings.

In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt made a small change to the holiday when he declared the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving, rather than the last Thursday. The move was intended to give merchants a longer period to sell goods before Christmas and help bring the country out of the Depression. The change was met with some resistance at first, but it eventually became widely accepted, and Thanksgiving has been observed on the fourth Thursday of November ever since.

One of the most iconic Thanksgiving traditions is the Thanksgiving meal, which typically includes a roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. The pumpkin pie has been a staple on New England Thanksgiving tables since the turn of the 18th century, and the cranberry sauce owes its popularity to Marcus Urann, who founded the cranberry growers cooperative known as Ocean Spray.

Another Thanksgiving tradition that has become synonymous with the holiday is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. In 1924, Macy's announced its first "Big Christmas Parade" two weeks before Thanksgiving. The parade featured "magnificent floats," bands, and an "animal circus," and was a huge success. Over the years, the parade has become an iconic part of American culture, with millions of people tuning in to watch the festivities each year.

Thanksgiving is a holiday steeped in tradition, from the Pilgrims' first feast to the modern-day celebration of food, family, and gratitude. The holiday has undergone many changes and adaptations over the years, but its core values of unity and gratitude remain the same. As we gather with loved ones to share a meal and give thanks, we can remember the long and fascinating history of this beloved holiday.