Thanksgiving Day
Do you know the history of Thanksgiving Day? Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated primarily in the United States a-nd Canada as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest a-nd of the preceding year. Several other places around the world observe similar celebrations. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States a-nd on the second Monday of October in Canada.
Prayers of thanks a-nd special thanksgiving ceremonies are common among almost all religions after harvests a-nd at other times. The Thanksgiving holiday s history in North America is rooted in English traditions dating from the Protestant Reformation. It also has aspects of a harvest festival, even though the harvest in New Engla-nd occurs well before the late-November date on which the modern Thanksgiving holiday is celebrated.
In the English tradition, days of thanksgiving a-nd special thanksgiving religious services became important during the English Reformation in the reign of Henry VIII a-nd in reaction to the large number of religious holidays on the Catholic calendar. Before 1536 there were 95 Church holidays, plus 52 Sundays, when people were required to attend church a-nd forego work a-nd sometimes pay for expensive celebrations. The 1536 reforms reduced the number of Church holidays to 27, but some Puritans wished to completely eliminate all Church holidays, including C-h-ristmas a-nd Easter. The holidays were to be replaced by specially called Days of Fasting or Days of Thanksgiving, in response to events that the Puritans viewed as acts of special providence. Unexpected disasters or threats of judgement from on high called for Days of Fasting. Special blessings, viewed as coming from God, called for Days of Thanksgiving. For example, Days of Fasting were called on accou-n-t of drought in 1611, floods in 1613, a-nd plagues in 1604 a-nd 1622. Days of Thanksgiving were called following the victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588 a-nd following the deliverance of Queen Anne in 1705. An unusual annual Day of Thanksgiving began in 1606 following the failure of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 a-nd developed into Guy Fawkes Day.
Observance of Thanksgiving Day
In Canada
Thanksgiving (French: l Action de grâce), occurring on the second Monday in October, is an annual Canadian holiday to give thanks at the close of the harvest season. Although the original act of Parliament references God a-nd the holiday is celebrated in churches, the holiday is mostly celebrated in a secular manner.
Thanksgiving is a statutory holiday in all provinces in Canada, except for New Brunswick a-nd Nova Scotia. While businesses may remain open in these provinces, the holiday is nonetheless recognized a-nd celebrated regardless of its status.
In Grenada
In the West Indian isla-nd of Grenada, there is a national holiday known as Thanksgiving Day which is celebrated on October 25. Even though it bears the same name, a-nd is celebrated at roughly the same time as the American a-nd Canadian versions of Thanksgiving, this holiday is unrelated to either of those celebrations.
Instead the holiday marks the anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of the isla-nd in 1983, in response to the deposition a-nd e-x-ecution of Grenadian Prime Minister Maurice Bishop.
In Liberia
In the West African c-o-untry of Liberia, which began in 1820 with the colonization of freed black slaves from the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the first Thursday of November.
In The Netherla-nds
Many of the Pilgrims who migrated to the Plymouth Plantationhad resided in the city of Leiden from 1609-1620,many of whom had recorded their births, marriages a-nd deaths at the Pieterskerk. To commemorate this, a non-denominational Thanksgiving Day service is held each year on the morning of the American.
Thanksgiving Day in the Pieterskerk, a Gothic church in Leiden, to commemorate the hospitality the Pilgrims received in Leiden on their way to the New World.
In Norfolk Isla-nd
In the Australian external territory of Norfolk Isla-nd, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the last Wednesday of November, similar to the pre-World War II American observance on the last Thursday of the month. This means the Norfolk Isla-nd observance is the day before or six days after the United States observance. The holiday was brought to the isla-nd by visiting American whaling ships.
In United States
Thanksgiving, currently celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November by federal legislation in 1941, has been an annual tradition in the United States by presidential proclamation since 1863 a-nd by state legislation since the Founding Fathers of the United States. Historically, Thanksgiving has traditionally been a celebration of the blessings of the year, including the harvest.
Prayers of thanks a-nd special thanksgiving ceremonies are common among almost all religions after harvests a-nd at other times. The Thanksgiving holiday s history in North America is rooted in English traditions dating from the Protestant Reformation. It also has aspects of a harvest festival, even though the harvest in New Engla-nd occurs well before the late-November date on which the modern Thanksgiving holiday is celebrated.
In the English tradition, days of thanksgiving a-nd special thanksgiving religious services became important during the English Reformation in the reign of Henry VIII a-nd in reaction to the large number of religious holidays on the Catholic calendar. Before 1536 there were 95 Church holidays, plus 52 Sundays, when people were required to attend church a-nd forego work a-nd sometimes pay for expensive celebrations. The 1536 reforms reduced the number of Church holidays to 27, but some Puritans wished to completely eliminate all Church holidays, including C-h-ristmas a-nd Easter. The holidays were to be replaced by specially called Days of Fasting or Days of Thanksgiving, in response to events that the Puritans viewed as acts of special providence. Unexpected disasters or threats of judgement from on high called for Days of Fasting. Special blessings, viewed as coming from God, called for Days of Thanksgiving. For example, Days of Fasting were called on accou-n-t of drought in 1611, floods in 1613, a-nd plagues in 1604 a-nd 1622. Days of Thanksgiving were called following the victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588 a-nd following the deliverance of Queen Anne in 1705. An unusual annual Day of Thanksgiving began in 1606 following the failure of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 a-nd developed into Guy Fawkes Day.
Observance of Thanksgiving Day
In Canada
Thanksgiving (French: l Action de grâce), occurring on the second Monday in October, is an annual Canadian holiday to give thanks at the close of the harvest season. Although the original act of Parliament references God a-nd the holiday is celebrated in churches, the holiday is mostly celebrated in a secular manner.
Thanksgiving is a statutory holiday in all provinces in Canada, except for New Brunswick a-nd Nova Scotia. While businesses may remain open in these provinces, the holiday is nonetheless recognized a-nd celebrated regardless of its status.
In Grenada
In the West Indian isla-nd of Grenada, there is a national holiday known as Thanksgiving Day which is celebrated on October 25. Even though it bears the same name, a-nd is celebrated at roughly the same time as the American a-nd Canadian versions of Thanksgiving, this holiday is unrelated to either of those celebrations.
Instead the holiday marks the anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of the isla-nd in 1983, in response to the deposition a-nd e-x-ecution of Grenadian Prime Minister Maurice Bishop.
In Liberia
In the West African c-o-untry of Liberia, which began in 1820 with the colonization of freed black slaves from the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the first Thursday of November.
In The Netherla-nds
Many of the Pilgrims who migrated to the Plymouth Plantationhad resided in the city of Leiden from 1609-1620,many of whom had recorded their births, marriages a-nd deaths at the Pieterskerk. To commemorate this, a non-denominational Thanksgiving Day service is held each year on the morning of the American.
Thanksgiving Day in the Pieterskerk, a Gothic church in Leiden, to commemorate the hospitality the Pilgrims received in Leiden on their way to the New World.
In Norfolk Isla-nd
In the Australian external territory of Norfolk Isla-nd, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the last Wednesday of November, similar to the pre-World War II American observance on the last Thursday of the month. This means the Norfolk Isla-nd observance is the day before or six days after the United States observance. The holiday was brought to the isla-nd by visiting American whaling ships.
In United States
Thanksgiving, currently celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November by federal legislation in 1941, has been an annual tradition in the United States by presidential proclamation since 1863 a-nd by state legislation since the Founding Fathers of the United States. Historically, Thanksgiving has traditionally been a celebration of the blessings of the year, including the harvest.
