Are you interested in learning about the history of this fall holiday? Are you wondering when it is celebrated? Were you ever curious about how we determined which day to celebrate this post-harvest holiday?
When is The Holiday Observed?
Thanksgiving Day in the United States is always observed on the fourth Thursday in the month of November.
In Canada, this harvest holiday is celebrated in October, not in November. The Canadian holiday is not on the fourth Thursday of the month, but on the second Monday in October.
When Was the First Holiday Observed?
The first Thanksgiving was held in 1621.
Important Dates and Milestones for this Autumn Holiday
1621: A harvest feast was held by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag (Scholastic.com)
1777: George Washington calls December 18, 1777 "a day for solemn Thanksgiving and Praise."
1817: The State of New York adopts Thanksgiving as an annual custom. (http://www.holidays.net)
1863 President Lincoln issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation. It was this proclamation that determined that the holiday should be held on the fourth Thursday of November. (http://www.holidays.net)
1927: The first giant balloons appeared in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (macy's)
1934: The NFL game that may have started the whole football on Thanksgiving Day is believed to be the game between the Lions and the Bears (Pro Football Hall of Fame).
1939: President Franklin Roosevelt changes observance of the holiday from the last Thursday in November to the third Thursday in November. (Scholastic.com)
1941: President Franklin Roosevelt give this feating holiday a fixed celebration day: he signed the legislation that determined the fourth Thursday in November was Thanksgiving.
1971: Actress Christina Applegate was born on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1971.
The Friday After The Holiday
The Friday after Thanksgiving has gained status as its own kind of holiday of sorts. For some, the day after Thanksgiving is also known as "Black Friday." Black Friday is officially the first day of the holiday shopping season. Many retailers hold special sales events on this day.
The Friday and the weekend after the celebration is also a traditional day for early birds to find and purchase a Christmas tree. Christmas tree farms tend to open on the Friday after the holiday celebration, or on the weekend after the holiday.
The Friday following the holiday is also a day when some people choose to hang up their holiday decorations.
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