It is a new month. We have made it to November of 2022. If someone were to ask you “what do you think of when you hear the word November?” Some people might say the weather, the food, the 11th month, or maybe Thanksgiving. Some people might not understand the true meaning behind Thanksgiving. No day we celebrate Thanksgiving by getting family together and eating traditional foods. Traditional foods include turkey, ham, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and even more! For Thanksgiving, families, and friends get together for a meal. In some cities and towns, there are parades during Thanksgiving week. This article is not about how we celebrate Thanksgiving now. Let’s talk about how Thanksgiving became a holiday and where it all started.

November 1621

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag shared an autumn harvest feast that is known today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. Thanksgiving day is a reminder of the genocide of millions of Native people, that theft of Native lands. And the relentless assault on Native culture.

How thanksgiving started

In November 1621, after the pilgrims first corn harvest proved successful, Governor William Bradford organized a celebratory feast and invited a group of Native American allies, including the Wampanoag chief Massasoit.

When did Thanksgiving become a holiday?

On Thursday, November 26, 1789, President George Washington planned a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. On October 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday. 

What is the whole meaning of Thanksgiving? 

The word Thanksgiving means expressing or feeling thankfulness. In other words, it’s the act of giving thanks for what you’re grateful for. This is often used in religious ways. For example, if you pray on thanksgiving most likely it means you are a religious person. A prayer on thanksgiving involves praying to express your thankfulness and blessings in your life.  

Thanksgiving 

Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates. Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Liberia. It’s a day to give thanks for the blessings of the harvest and the preceding year. Similar holidays like Thanksgiving are celebrated in Germany and Japan.

I hope you enjoyed my article and even learned some things about Thanksgiving that you might have not known. I wish you all a great November and great Thanksgiving! Thanks for reading Canes.