HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! (2017)

When is Thanksgiving 2016 in the US?
Millions of Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving today. The holiday is always the fourth Thursday of November…which this year falls on November 24th. It is followed a day later by Black Friday & the date was set by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1939.
Previously…it had been designated as the last Thursday of the month by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 but was changed after a November fell with five Thursdays…pushing Thanksgiving back to the end of the month.

What is Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is a major public holiday in the US & Canada that for millions kicks off the festive season. For many Americans it is just as important as Christmas & in fact more US citizens celebrate Thanksgiving than do the Christian holiday.

What is the history of Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving originated as a harvest festival & dates back to the arrival of the Pilgrims on US soil in 1620.
The settlers arrived in winter & struggled with harsh weather & limited rations.
When Spring came the Pilgrims planted their own crops & were taught how to grow corn, pumpkin & squash by a Native American named Squanto.
The Pilgrims invited the Native Americans to join them for a harvest feast which colonies began to celebrate annually.
George Washington named Thanksgiving an official holiday in 1789 after the end of the Revolutionary War.

How do Americans celebrate Thanksgiving?
Many schools & offices close for a four-day weekend of celebrations.
The traditional Thanksgiving meal is a turkey dinner…often accompanied by stuffing, sweet potatoes & other vegetables…and followed by a pumpkin pie. Families will sit down to eat together & give thanks for their blessings.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place every year in New York City & is televised across the nation. Thousands of performers attend with gigantic floats of TV & film characters.
Millions of sports fans will tune in to watch special NFL football games & popular TV shows will air special holiday episodes.
In the White House…the president is traditionally presented with a live turkey…which he will then pardon.

When was Thanksgiving 2016 in Canada?
Canada celebrates a separate Thanksgiving to its southernly neighbor. It is observed on the second Monday of October…which this year was October 10th.