Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival that takes place every year in November on the fourth Thursday of the month. It is known as a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude to others.
The date and location of the first Thanksgiving celebration is up for speculation however the earliest known celebration was on September 8, 1564 in Florida in what is now Saint Augustine. Some 600 Spanish settlers upon arrival celebrated a mass of Thanksgiving to celebrate their safe arrival to the New World.
Most people refer to what is talked about as being the most traditional Thanksgiving celebration in the Plymouth Plantation, in 1621. Most of our modern traditions on how we celebrate Thanksgiving Day is associated with the Pilgrims at Plymouth's Thanksgiving Dinner with the local Native Americans.
Other than the United States where it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year, Canada celebrates their Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October.
The celebration is usually a mixed gathering of friends and family.
Typical American Thanksgiving foods include a roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing of the turkey, gravy sauce, and others..
Celebration
People celebrate by gathering at home with family or friends for a holiday feast.
References
Fast Facts
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Date celebrated
The fourth Thursday of November
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Where
Primarily United States and Canada
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When it began
September 8, 1564 in Florida - Saint Augustine.
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Person associated with holiday
Pilgrims and Native Americans
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Date Celebrated in USA
The Fourth Thursday of November
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Date Celebrated in Canada
The Second Monday of October
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Origins
Harvest Celebrations date back to ancient times.
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Modern Traditions
1621 Pilgrims of Plymouth's dinner with local Native Americans
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Traditional Foods
Stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet corn, other fall vegetables, and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner.
