Thanksgiving+Day

= Thanksgiving Day = = =  toc

Thanksgiving Day was an important day in American History. It was a day in 1621, when Americans and Indians harvested their food, and shared it among each other; It was a time to give thanks. It is a holiday now celebrated, as well. Families gather far and near to have reunions, and celebrate with a thanksgiving feast. It is a holiday of many traditions, and a holiday that brings Americans together every fall.


The Pilgrims set out to America in 1620. They left because they did not agree with what the Church of England said, so they decided to form their own in America. They journeyed in a ship called the Mayflower; it took them 66 days to reach Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Pilgrims encountered very hard times in Plymouth. Many, many died of disease, and if it wasn’t for an Indian named Squanto, the Pilgrims would have starved to death. Squanto taught the pilgrims how to plant, cut trees, and fish. Things started changing for the Pilgrims, and they harvested lots of food. To show their appreciation to Squanto, the Indians and the Pilgrims got together and feasted on the gathered food. They gave thanks to God for their fortunate lives in Plymouth.







 The first Thanksgiving was in Plymouth in the spring of 1621. Some say that this day was the beginning of a tradition, but the country never celebrated another Thanksgiving until sometime after the revolutionary war. Even then, it wasn’t a real holiday. The pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving by feasting on their large harvest with the Indians. When many think of the first Thanksgiving, they think of the Indians eating turkey and pumpkin pie indoors around a large table, like many of us do today, but that was not the case. It was possible, however, for there to have been turkey or pumpkin, but no one is sure. On the other hand, the feast would have been outside because there were so many people, and there were over 100 guests, so they could not all fit around one table. Although the first Thanksgiving had some similarities to the traditions we celebrate nowadays, it still had many differences.


 We still celebrate Thanksgiving today. It was made a national holiday in 1863 by president Abraham Lincoln. Many of the traditions we celebrate on Thanksgiving are based on events that took place the first Thanksgiving, like having a Thanksgiving feast, but no one is completely sure of all that took place that day. Therefore, Thanksgiving has developed new traditions. New traditions include the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which started 82 years ago. Also, it is an American tradition for families to get together during Thanksgiving, and give thanks for what they had, just like the Pilgrims and the Indians gave thanks for what they had. Although Thanksgiving has changed over the years, and developed many new traditions, it is still a holiday Americans cherish.




<span style="color: rgb(238, 32, 41);"> Americans remain confident that Thanksgiving will stay a holiday for a good while. It is a holiday important to America’s history, as well as Americans all over the nation. Traditions will change over the years, as they always do. Just as we have created new Thanksgiving traditions, like the Macy’s Parade, in future years we are sure to create new traditions as well. For now, all we can do is wait for our future; who knows, it might be interesting to see how traditions can transform a day of feasting into a day of reunions, parades, turkeys, pumpkin pies, and much, much, more.

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<span style="color: rgb(238, 32, 41);"> America is always changing; we are always coming up with new ideas, and inventing new things. Therefore, Thanksgiving is not the same, nor will it ever be as it once was. It was once an outdoor feast, but now it has been transformed into much more than that. In the future, it is sure to change as well. Although traditions are supposed to stay the same every year, they really are tweaked a little each year, setting you further and further away from that tradition. As it changes, hopefully Americans will not be lost in the glamour, and forget the reason why they celebrate: to give thanks for the wonderful things they have.

<span style="color: rgb(235, 30, 30);">References
<span style="color: rgb(233, 28, 28);"> <span style="color: rgb(238, 32, 41);">Garraty, John A. The Story of America. Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1994

"IT'S ALMOST HERE!" Thanksgiving Day Parade on Parade- Macy's. 2008. Macy's. 21 October 2008. http://www.macys.com/campaign/parade/parade.jsp

<span style="color: rgb(238, 32, 41);"> Johnson, Caleb. "The Mayflower's Voyage." AOL Hometown. 1998. AOL. 21 October 2008. http://members.aol.com/calebj/voyage.html <span style="color: rgb(238, 17, 17);"> "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" ABC News: NYC'S Thanksgiving Parade. ABC News. 21 October 2008. http://i.abcnews.com/Entertainment/popup?id=3903009. <span style="color: rgb(238, 32, 41);"> "The Truth About the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving" America's Homepage. 1995-1996. 21 October 2008. http://www.pilgrims.net/plymouth/thanksgiving.htm

"When and How Did Thanksgiving Become a Nation?" The Labor of Love. 2000-2007. 21 October 2008. http://www.thelaboroflove.com/articles/when-how-did-thanksgiving-become-a-national-holiday/