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Thanksgiving is a nationwide and very popular folk holiday in the United States.
Earlier in October, Americans in their prayers thanked God for a harvest year. Nowadays, the holiday has practically lost its religious meaning and has become a real long-awaited family holiday with rich treats and gifts.
Gifts are given not only to relatives, friends and neighbors, but also to collect good things for donation to those who have just moved to the United States or victims of natural disasters at home and abroad.
Thanksgiving: a story
The birth of the post-harvest holiday took place in the Middle Ages. These were prayers of gratitude for the bounty of the land, which ended with a common meal. According to archival documents, the first prayer services for immigrants from European countries were held in 1607 in Jamestown and Maine.
But most often the birth of this holiday is associated with the resettlement of the English pilgrims to a new continent in 1620. In the fall of 1621, the governor of Plymouth W. Bradford invited a tribe of Indians living nearby to take part in the holiday.
As you know, the colonists spent a rather cold winter half-starved and survived only thanks to the help of the indigenous population of this area.
This was the first Thanksgiving Day, but the colonists then did not even plan to make it traditional. In 1622 this day was not celebrated. In 1623, the colonists, after a long drought that destroyed most of the harvest, fervently prayed to heaven for rain. The sky responded to their prayer, sending a blessed rain to the parched earth.
When is Thanksgiving in the USA
Thanksgiving was officially announced in 1777 and took place a week before Christmas. In 1789, George Washington declared this day a holiday. The date of its holding was the last Thursday of November.
Subsequently, the holiday was also not always held. State status was given to it in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln.
Over the long history, many traditions have emerged. For example, it is often celebrated in the house of the oldest relative. The rest come here not only from all states, but also from other countries where they are on business. Everyone gathers at a large table filled with traditional dishes.
The table is decorated with a turkey, whose distant ancestors, brought by the Indians to the camp of settlers five centuries ago, saved the arriving pilgrims from starvation. The turkey is surrounded by yams, cranberry sauce, spiced croutons filling and sweet potato.
Another decoration on the table is pumpkin pie. After all, such dishes were included in the menu in the XNUMXth century. Hot spiced apple cider is served on the table.
A turkey pardon ceremony is taking place in the White House the day before. This tradition has been in effect since 1963. George W. Bush held a solemn ceremony on this occasion in 1989.
Thousands of parades are held on the streets of cities, the first of which took place in 1924 on the streets of Detroit. But the largest parade with giant inflatable toys takes place in New York. Since 1952, the procession has been broadcast on TV.
Video
Better to see once! “Thanksgiving in America: History and Traditions” in this video
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