Thanksgiving is a fall harvest festival celebrated today in both Canada and the United States. Its early roots reach back into the settlement and exploration of North America.

The true origin of Thanksgiving is often debated. Did it begin in Jamestown or at Plymouth? And what about the even earlier recordings of Thanksgiving celebrations? Thanksgiving celebrations actually originated from European harvest festival traditions.History.com: The History of Thanksgiving

Traditional recipes during the 1600's would have included dishes like wild turkey, venison, pumpkin pudding, garlic and onions, English cheese pie and corn bread.EnjoyMA: An Authentic Thanksgiving Dinner Today it is traditional for most families to have turkey, stuffing sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Vegetarian and vegan households often replace the turkey with a non-meat substitution like Tofurkey.

• The United States Department of State: The First Thanksgiving Proclamation

• • 1789-1815: George Washington, John Adams and James Madison
  • 1862-1869: Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson and Ulysses S. Grant
  • 1870-1879: Ulysses S. Grant and Rutherford B. Hayes
  • 1880-1889: Rutherford B. Hayes, Chester A. Arthur, Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison
  • 1890-1899: Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland and William McKinley
  • 1900-1909: William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt and William H. Taft
  • 1910-1919: William H. Taft and Woodrow Wilson
  • 1920-1929: Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover
  • 1930-1939: Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • 1940-1949: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman
  • 1950-1959: Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • 1960-1969: Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon
  • 1970-1979: Richard Nixon, Gerald R. Ford and Jimmy Carter
  • 1980-1989: Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George Bush
  • 1990-1999: George Bush and William J. Clinton
  • 2000- : William J. Clinton and George W. Bush