When Is Thanksgiving 2017?
The annual Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and Americans and other people living in areas where this tradition is observed are already planning for the occasion. Although Thanksgiving has been around for hundreds of years, many still do not know what this celebration is all about and how it all started.
For most people, Thanksgiving is all about preparing lots of delicious food and wine. In America, this occasion is celebrated every fourth Thursday of November. After a day of big meals and turkey, this day is usually followed by Black Friday, which is known as a day of bagging bargains.
Although most people know Thanksgiving as an American tradition, the truth is that America is not the only country that celebrates it. Other countries like Canada, Puerto Rico, Grenada, and Liberia also observe this national holiday, although not on the same day as in America. In Canada, for instance, Thanksgiving happens every second Monday of October, while in Great Britain, Thanksgiving is marked not by big meals but by what they call a Harvest Festival.
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Thanksgiving actually started as a harvest festival, which over time has evolved into a holiday that is part of the broader holiday season that includes Christmas and New Year. The annual tradition started in 1620, when a group of pilgrims arrived in America and settled in an area where rations were tight and weather conditions were harsh.
Come spring, they went out and started fishing, hunting, planting, and growing their own crops for food. Before winter came, they managed to put up a building where they stored enough food to sustain them during the cold months. Because of this achievement, they invited the Native Americans to join them for a huge harvest feast as an expression of their gratitude. Today, the tradition is widely known as Thanksgiving.
This year, Thanksgiving will take place on Nov. 23.
