It’s Thanksgiving Day!

         Thanksgiving Day is a holiday that we celebrate on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States, and around the same time of the year in other places. 

The holiday began with the United States, followed by the neighboring countries such as Canada, and then it spread throughout the countries all around the world, including China. The holiday in North America rooted from the Protestant Reformation of English traditions, which includes the aspects of a harvest festival. English wanted blessings from the god for their successful harvest and therefore called on for this day to thank god for their previous harvest and for their next harvests from unexpected disasters or threats. 

Moreover, in the United States, the Thanksgiving holiday, that we commonly know, derived from the celebration of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. As pilgrims migrated from Europe to America seeking for their religious freedom and a better life, there were varieties of life-and-death situations. Many people died on the Mayflower (ship that brought them to America) and some died after arriving because of diseases and other threats that were resulted from failures of adaptation to the new environment. 

Therefore, people who have survived learnt to start their new lives on the new land. After their first harvest, they have prepared for the feast to praise their Almighty God, of the Christian religion, according to the documents that state that they were Christians, also to appreciate their successful harvest. This allowed the Pilgrims to be thankful to all they have gained, leading them to strive for a greater success, which they soon achieved. During this day, we spend time with our families and friends. It is an annual gathering for some families. The actual purpose of the celebration is to be thankful for the things that we have in our lives. A way to celebrate this day is to have a big feast. 

As a tip, a big turkey should never be missing as your centerpiece. Toasting some wine with the family members and your friends would be a very nice idea for an emotion building and reunion time. In America, families and friends watch the Thanksgiving Day parade, football, and play games to celebrate.

Happy thanksgiving everyone! 

Author: Suhyun Choi