Since the English settlers (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag Indians shared the harvest in 1621, it has become one of the most significant traditional holidays in the United States.
Thanksgiving Day — History and beginnings
Legends and symbolism abound in this American holiday. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. In Canada, on the other hand, it is celebrated on the second Monday of October.
People regularly gather with their families around the table for traditional celebrations, making it a wonderful family occasion. Thanksgiving was first observed in American culture as a “harvest feast,” or a straightforward harvest holiday.
As such, many of the symbols of Thanksgiving, such as pumpkins, grape leaves and scarecrows, have to do with the world of crops and fields in general.
Giving thanks to God
Despite having a distinctly Christian religious connotation, it has evolved into a secular tradition that is followed by the vast majority of Americans, regardless of race, color, or creed.
Each year, people in the United States and Canada celebrate this day as a time to thank God for all his blessings and to celebrate it with feasts and prayers.
At that time, the American holiday of Thanksgiving also gained popularity. It had its origins as a simple holiday in the early American colonies, almost four hundred years ago.
First Thanksgiving Day Parade
On November 27, 1924, the first Thanksgiving Day Parade of the renowned Macy’s store was held in New York and has since attracted hundreds of thousands of spectators and viewers.
The parade began when many of the store’s employees, proud of their European ancestry, but also first-generation immigrants, decided to adopt this local custom by creating a festival that would appeal more to their mostly European parents.
Marcus Garvey, creator of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), participated in the New York parade in 1924. His organization was the largest black organization of the 20th century and its goal was to bring people of African descent together to create their nation.
