Thanksgiving Day in the USA

Thanksgiving is an original American holiday associated with the life of European settlers in the New World The holiday was first celebrated in 1621, when colonists and invited representatives of the indigenous Indian population met at the festive table The settlers arrived on these lands a year ago, having endured a difficult journey across the ocean under the sails of the Mayflower The ship's passengers left their native England for various reasons Some wanted to get rich on unknown shores, some dreamed of religious freedom, and there were those who were simply hiding from justice But the new land brought cruel trials to everyone The settlers were not ready to survive in local conditions; hunger and disease during the first winter claimed the lives of more than half of the colonists Only thanks to the help of Indian tribes was the Plymouth Colony able to survive The Indians taught the former English how to hunt and protect themselves from predators, and most importantly, they explained how to grow local crops Already the first harvest amazed the settlers with its abundance; now they were not afraid of the coming winter At the end of all agricultural work, it was decided to organize a holiday where all the colonists could jointly give thanks to God for the harvest and hope for prosperity Subsequently, the holiday became a tradition during the years of abundant harvest and did not have an exact date According to the established tradition, on the morning of the holiday, everyone was required to visit church; after returning home, families gathered together at a large table laden with abundant food Traditionally, Thanksgiving dishes included roasted turkey, corn on the cob, and pumpkin pies The need for a holiday with a specific date was necessary when the United States became a single state The initiator of the common date for all United States was the first President George Washington, who decided to celebrate Thanksgiving Day annually on November 26 The years of the Civil War changed attitudes toward some American values, and President Abraham Lincoln abolished the exact previous date, replacing it with the concept of the last Thursday in November This order existed until the reign of Roosevelt, who in 1939 decided that it would be more convenient to move the holiday to the penultimate Thursday of the last autumn month This decision was rejected in half of the American states, where Thanksgiving Day was still celebrated on the last Thursday in November Representatives of the state of Texas found the most interesting way out of the dual situation by declaring both dates to be holidays In 1941, the American government came to its senses and passed a bill that clearly stated the fourth Thursday of November each year as the common date for celebrating Thanksgiving Day throughout America This resolution is still in force today In the United States, Thanksgiving Day is considered a family holiday, which begins a series of Christmas celebrations A similar tradition exists in Canada, but on the second Monday of October Festive events take place at the state and city levels Educational thematic programs and films are shown on television Schools organize holidays dedicated to the life of the Pilgrim Fathers from the Mayflower ship, and hold exhibitions of children's crafts, where the most popular character is the turkey In New York, the custom has taken root to hold parades of giant inflatable toys, among which you can recognize your favorite characters from cartoons and games On the evening of the holiday, fireworks roar and shine throughout all the cities and towns of America