Thanksgiving Day: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know About This Beautiful Holiday | 2024

Last Updated on August 6, 2024 by Paola Castillo

What is Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving Day is an annual holiday celebrated mostly in the US and Canada celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for the previous year’s blessings. 

When is Thanksgiving 2024?

Thanksgiving Day 2024 lands on Thursday, November 28th, in the US. In Canada, Thanksgiving Day lands on Monday, October 14th. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated differently in both countries, with Thanksgiving Day traditions unique to each. Families gather on Thanksgiving day to enjoy festive meals and give thanks for their blessings. The history of Thanksgiving Day varies, but the spirit of Thanksgiving Day remains the same across borders.

What day does Thanksgiving fall on?

In the US, Thanksgiving Day lands on the fourth Thursday of November each year. In Canada, Thanksgiving Day lands on the second Monday of October each year.

Is Thanksgiving a national holiday?

Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the US and Canada.

Who celebrates Thanksgiving?

Although mostly celebrated in the US and Canada, Thanksgiving is also celebrated in Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and more.

How is Thanksgiving different in Canada vs the US?

Canada has a different origin for Thanksgiving than the United States, and it dates back to 1578. The first Thanksgiving meal observed in what is now Canada occurred when English explorer Martin Frobisher and his crew held a meal to thank God for granting them safe passage through the wilds of the New World.

Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is generally celebrated to acknowledge our gratitude and give thanks for our blessings whilst commemorating the colonial Pilgrims’ harvest meal that they shared with Wampanoag Indians in 1621.

What is the history of Thanksgiving?

In 1621, the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people joined together to celebrate a harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies.

For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. In 1789, President George Washington was the first to issue a proclamation for Thanksgiving, designating November 26 as the holiday and marking the first national celebration.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held on the last Thursday of each November, during the midst of the Civil War. In 1941, Congress passed the law declaring the fourth Thursday in November as an annual legal holiday.

What kind of foods are served for Thanksgiving?

There are a wide variety of items that could be served as a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Some of the most common dishes beyond the traditional Thanksgiving dinner might include green bean casserole, gravy, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, dinner rolls, and candied yams. The other common dessert options besides pumpkin pie are pecan pie and sweet potato pie.

• Delicious Thanksgiving Desserts That Aren’t Pie (Gluten-Free & Vegan)
• The Ultimate 5 Delicious (and Vegan) Thanksgiving Menu Recipes

Why do we eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?

Nobody is sure whether or not turkey was on the menu in the 1621 harvest celebration held by the pilgrims of Plymouth colony, but According to Ashley Rose Young, migration from New England is largely responsible for the popularity of turkey, among other popular Thanksgiving foods such as pumpkin and cranberry.

Even before the feast, turkeys were a popular meat for Europeans, and there were plenty of wild turkeys for Native Americans and New England settlers to hunt. 

 When did Thanksgiving become a federal holiday?

In 1941, Congress recognized Thanksgiving by declaring it an annual federal holiday. In Canada, Parliament declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1879.

What’s the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a well-known parade in New York City that began in 1924. It is presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy’s. The parade is one of the oldest parades in the United States, alongside America’s Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit.

On average, how many people attend Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade each year?

Around 2.5-3 million spectators attend Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and over 44 million follow it on television. 

What religion is Thanksgiving Day?

Thanksgiving is a secular festival that originated in the 17th century as the British and other European countries colonized the United States. 

How do you explain Thanksgiving to a child?

Thanksgiving is a day for us to give thanks for our blessings. It is a yearly holiday where families often get together and have a feast.
This holiday is celebrated in the US, Canada, and other countries. In the US it takes place on the fourth Thursday in November, and In Canada, it occurs on the second Monday of October.

Both countries eat turkey feasts and often watch football games on TV. Thanksgiving began in the 1600s. In 1621 Pilgrims of the Plymouth Colony held the first
Thanksgiving, after they had landed in America on their ship, called the Mayflower, in December 1620. The Wampanoag (Native American) people of the area helped the colonists learn to grow crops.

That fall the Pilgrims had a gathering to celebrate the harvest was good and did not invite the Wampanoag. The Wampanoag heard of the feast, though, and decided to go and bring more food. The two groups then shared a three-day-long feast. The editor of a women’s magazine, Sarah Josepha Hale, wanted to have Thanksgiving become a national celebration in the United States so tried her best to make it happen. President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving in 1863. Then, in December 1941 Congress officially named the fourth Thursday in November Thanksgiving Day.

Is Thanksgiving bigger than Christmas?

Thanksgiving often overshadows Christmas Day as the biggest holiday in the US, however, there is no right answer as it depends per person and some people prefer one holiday to the other.