The holidays are right around the corner, and as we start the holidays, we begin with Thanksgiving. This holiday is very well-known and important for all Americans. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month, and you’re probably wondering why. The reason why Thanksgiving is celebrated this way is that Abraham Lincoln declared it to be celebrated on the very last day of November.

However, studies and research show that there was a big concern that “economic recovery” was going to happen due to Christmas shopping and other holiday celebrations occurring all at the same time. Due to this, President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the date by making a presidential proclamation to move Thanksgiving to the second to last Thursday of November.

The first Thanksgiving ever was celebrated in the autumn of 1621 after Plymouth colonists and Native Americans all shared a harvest feast and considered that as a celebration of their harvest. The U.S. has always celebrated Thanksgiving, but New York was one of the first states to adopt Thanksgiving to be celebrated annually.  At first, Thanksgiving was a three-day celebration but it did start becoming a one-day celebration. 

As Thanksgiving became more popular, more people started coming up with new activities and even new dishes for the special day of Thanksgiving. At first, the first famous dish was freshly hunted deer, wildfowl that was assorted, bass, and a variety of corn harvested by Native Americans, (this corn was also known as “cornbread”). Turkey had started becoming a popular dish by 1857; Turkey gained popularity because of how much protein it had. To this day turkey is still very popular in American dishes for Thanksgiving.

Since we are on the topic of Thanksgiving dishes, if you’re unsure about what to cook for Thanksgiving or what desserts to bring to the table, do not worry! There are many tasty plates you can make.  Some popular dishes are turkey with mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, and bread rolls. You can also stuff your turkey with vegetables to give the turkey more juice and flavor for a more enjoyable meal. Although many people like to eat turkey, other people like to eat ham. My personal preference is to eat ham since I do feel like the meat is juicier; you can also create delicious sides such as mac & cheese, and cornbread dressing. For dessert, you can choose from pumpkin pie, apple pie, or cranberry sauce.

People like to do different activities while they celebrate the day of Thanksgiving. Although Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks, it is not a religious holiday. Thanksgiving is more like a secular holiday. A secular holiday is like a day when it is very popular due to how much it is celebrated. Many people before they have their Thanksgiving dinner like to have a prayer and also give thanks for what they are grateful for, other people like to do game activities or family activities, it all depends on how your family likes to celebrate.

In the White House, Thanksgiving is also highly celebrated. One of the most popular traditions at the White House is the turkey pardon. The turkey pardon tradition is where the president picks out a turkey that can be pardoned. Once the turkey has been pardoned, it can go back to its home state and retire. This tradition began back in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln first pardoned a turkey because of how attached his son got to the turkey, so Abraham decided to keep the turkey alive.

 As we gather around the table this Thanksgiving, let’s take a moment and cherish the moments of gratitude, connection, and warmth, creating lasting memories that extend far beyond the holiday season with people that we love.