Thanksiging

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a holiday that originated as a public festival and is now celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. In 1620 Pilgrims had landed on America and settled in an area they named Plymouth south of where Boston is today. That year, those who had immigrated had a harsh winter and rations were very limited. Luckily a native American named Squanto helped them how to grow many things and also how to hunt and fish. In 1621 the grateful pilgrims invited the native Americans to an autumn harvest feast that is now known as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn’t until 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November. The tradition has continued for hundreds of years since and is celebrated with lots of delicious food and wine. Thanksgiving celebration has lost much of its original religious significance; instead, it now centers on cooking and sharing a bountiful meal with family and friends. Volunteering is a common Thanksgiving Day activity, and communities often hold food drives and host free dinners for the less fortunate.