American Thanksgiving 2022 will be celebrated on 26th November. Thanksgiving is a traditional North American festival to give thanks to the Lord at the end of the harvest season. Friends and families come together to thank the Lord for all the good things in life – health, health and prosperity.
Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the United States every year on the 4th Thursday of every November. Whereas in Canada, it is on the second Monday of October considering the time of harvest is different in the respective countries. On this day the American families gather and enjoy the Thanksgiving feast, which includes Turkey, pumpkin pies, mashed potatoes, green bean casseroles along with cranberry sauce. It is tradition to offer Thanksgiving prayers to God, sings Thanksgiving Songs and watch American football and be a part of the New York’s very popular Macy’s Parade.
History of American Thanksgiving
The first Thanksgiving Day was decreed by Governor William Bradford in July 30, 1623. There were harvest festivals, or days of thanking God for plentiful crops because that year the Pilgrim’s fall harvest was very successful and plentiful after a period of drought. There was corn, fruits, vegetables, along with fish which was packed in salt, and meat that was smoke cured over fires. The Governor proclaimed a day of thanksgiving that was to be shared by all the colonists and the neighboring Native American Indians.
The event, however, was a one-time celebration and was not intended to be an annual festival. It was not even repeated the following year. It was only after 55 years that another Thanksgiving Day was officially proclaimed. The Governing Council of Charlestown, Massachusetts convened on June 20, 1676 to weigh how to best express thanks for the good fortune that had secured the establishment of their community. By unanimous vote, Edward Rawson (the Clerk of the Council) was instructed to announce June 29 as a Day of Thanksgiving that year. But this time also the event proved to be just a one-time event.
Then the Continental Congress suggested a day of national thanksgiving during the American Revolution in late 1770’s. In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom, and by the middle of the 19th century many other states also did the same.
In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln appointed a national day of thanksgiving. Since then each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, usually designating the fourth Thursday of each November as the holiday for Thanksgiving in America.
Traditions on American Thanksgiving 2022
On this Thanksgiving Day, people celebrate with great enthusiasm. The houses are decorated with beautiful fall decorations, lights, etc. Feasts are arranged and close friends and family are called over to celebrate. A lot of dishes are prepared, with a turkey being the center attraction. It is a tradition to roast turkey on this day. There are many customs and traditions that are followed on this day which include relishing great food, becoming part of the Thanksgiving parades and expressing our gratitude to the Lord.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is another attraction of the Thanksgiving Day in America. This parade is held every year in New York city and audience enjoy its broadcast also.