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The History of Thanksgiving in America
When people think of Thanksgiving, most remember the story of the Pilgrims and the Indians at Plymouth Rock. The Pilgrims first arrived in America on December 11, 1620, not prepared for the winter they were to face. Out of the 102 who arrived on the Mayflower, forty-six of the people died during the first few months. Despite the devastation, they had a good harvest, partly in thanks to the Indians who lived nearby.
They had a traditional British Harvest Feast in thanks to God for surviving and the blessings of provisions that would see them through the winter. In contrast to our modern Thanksgiving menu, they actually had more meat than vegetables, including venison, fish and wild foul, which may or may not have actually been turkey. They probably didn’t have much in the way of desserts, as they didn’t have a lot of flour or sugar on hand. They probably had some fruits and corn. Instead of pumpkin pie, they probably had boiled pumpkin. The first Thanksgiving feast lasted for three days.
Thanksgiving was not an annual event in the U.S. for many years. In 1623, there was a drought and instead of having a celebration, the Pilgrims held a prayer service. When their prayers were answered the next day, they invited their Indian friends to join them in another Thanksgiving observance.
June 20, 1676 was celebrated as a day of Thanksgiving in Charlestown, Massachusetts. However this was very different than the first Thanksgiving. This was to celebrate a victory over the Indians. Another victory, this time over the British, was celebrated in October of 1677 by all of the thirteen colonies. George Washington established the first national Thanksgiving day in 1789, however not everyone thought it was a good idea, including Thomas Jefferson.
It wasn’t until 1863 that what we know as our modern Thanksgiving came into being. Sarah Josepha Hale decided to promote Thanksgiving in her magazine, Boston Ladies’ Magazine and in Godey’s Lady’s Book. She also wrote letters to different governors and presidents. Abraham Lincoln finally established Thanksgiving as the last Thursday in November. The date was changed a few times (to the third Thursday), but in 1941 was finally established on its current date, the fourth Thursday in November.
Over the years, it has drifted away from its original focus on being thankful. It has become a day to eat and watch football. While those aren’t bad things, it is good for people to take the time to actually be thankful for their blessings.
The History of Thanksgiving in Canada
Thanksgiving in Canada can be traced back to Martin Frobisher in 1578. He came from England in search of a way to get to the Orient by going north. While he never found the passage, he did establish what later became Newfoundland and Labrador. His celebration of making it all the way from England to his new home became the first Thanksgiving in North America. More settlers joined Frobisher, and as the settlements expanded, people continued to celebrate Thanksgiving.
French settlers arrived in Canada, led by Samuel de Champlain, who had their own Thanksgiving feasts. Similar to the Pilgrims first Thanksgiving, the French shared what they had with the Indians who lived in the area.
Over the years, there were various special Thanksgiving celebrations. One was at the end of the Seven Years’ War in 1763. The British took possession of New France and celebrations were held in Halifax. At this point, celebrations were not held every year yet.
Thanksgiving finally became a yearly celebration in 1879, however the date was not always the same. Each year people were encouraged to focus on different things for which to be thankful. It varied from the usual abundant harvest to remembering significant events in Canadian history. Some of the themes for different Thanksgiving celebrations were being thankful for God’s mercies, victory over enemies, the end of wars, cessation of cholera and other diseases, peace, blessings and most often, abundant harvests.
After the Revolutionary War, many American Colonists left to live in Canada. They brought with them the traditions that had been passed down from the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims at Plymouths Rock. They brought many of their favorite foods with them, to add to the menu as well.
For some time after WWI, Canadians celebrated Armistice Day and Thanksgiving on the Monday closest to November 11. In 1931 Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day and people began to celebrate them separately. In 1957 Canadian Parliament finally established the second Monday in October to be the official Thanksgiving. Since Canada has an earlier harvest, it only makes sense that Thanksgiving is held earlier in the fall than it is in the United States.
Many of the foods served for Thanksgiving in Canada are quite similar to those served further south in the United States. They also enjoy turkey, mashed potatoes, different vegetable dishes and pumpkin pie. The Europeans introduced the cornucopia to the celebrations as well.
Despite all the changes in the date and why it was celebrated, Thanksgiving in Canada is still about being thankful for all the blessings of the past year and being with family.
