Thanksgiving Day 2020: meaning and why Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in America

In the United States, Thanksgiving Day or Thanksgiving Day is a celebration more than special and steeped in traditions and customs.

The meaning of this festival celebrated on Fourth Thursday in November – the day before Black Friday – is recognition for the crops and its origin dates back to the arrival in the United States of the first settlers from England.

The start of this deeply rooted celebration is linked to the arrival in the United States of Mayflower, a ship with over 100 English settlers, in 1620.

This group of settlers escaping from the gallows, the website says About the story, had strong religious convictions, although they opposed the beliefs of the Anglican Church.

They settled in the current state of Massachussets and in their first winter they were hungry and there were many deaths in the community.

Already in the following spring, the Wampanoag tribe offered their help and taught them how to plant corn, a plant they did not know until then, to hunt and to fish.

In the fall that followed, they had a bountiful harvest and had a great celebration party. This event is known as America’s First Thanksgiving.

In this first feast, according to the story of About the story, the settlers invited the chief and 90 natives of Wampanoag. They brought deer meat for roasting and turkeys, while the settlers cooked blueberries and prepared different kinds of cereals on dishes unknown to the natives.

With the declaration of independence, the celebration was established.

Then in 1863, at the end of a long and bloody civil war, Abraham Lincoln He suggested that all Americans celebrate the last Thursday in November as a day of appreciation.

On the other hand, for indigenous peoples, the date is considered National Day of Mourning for Native Americans.

This is not the only celebration linked to abundance. Other previous cultures and civilizations had already celebrated their thanksgiving to their corresponding deities for the blessing of a bountiful harvest.

How to celebrate Thanksgiving

Considered an ecumenical feast, it is attended by people of different faiths or without religious conviction. The intention is to share blessings and good wishes with your loved ones.

One of the ingrained customs is to hold the meeting at the home of the older relative. At some point in the meeting, everyone gives thanks for the good things achieved that year.

In honor of these early settlers and natives, the traditional menu includes products typical of this region, such as turkey, corn, squash and cranberry sauce.

Pumpkin pie, carrot cake, and vegetable cream are also commonly served.

Another tradition is that the boys prepare a centerpiece, with natural elements typical of the field – such as scarecrows or pumpkins.

The meeting also usually revolves around the classic football game of the date. In addition, department stores usually hold parades with floats and children’s figures. Macy’s is the most anticipated since 1927.