What actually is Thanksgiving day for? is it part of Christmas?

Question

We don't have thanksgiving day here in Australia, and see it happening in movies sometimes, so am curious..

Answer 1

After the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, in Jamestown, they spent a hard year, the first year, and when the Indians taught them how to plant and raise corn and other things they needed to learn to "live off the land", they were thankful, after the first harvest, so, they had a "feast of Thanksgiving", and invited the Indian friends who helped them.

Just read up on the Pilgrims and reference Jamestown, and you will learn it all...

I wish you well..

Jesse

Answer 2

In spite of the American myth about the founding fathers beginning the tradition in the northeast part of the US, it is actually an American Indian custom from the southwest (the Spanish and the Indians celebrated it in the 1500s...It has no relation to Christmas. Canadian Thanksgiving is earlier than the American holiday. In the US, the holiday was on and off and finally Abraham Lincoln established the National Holiday and I think it was Rooseveldt or perhaps Truman that designated the day as the last Thursday in November. The foods are traditionally Turkey and such. The first celebration in the northeast honored the success of the colony at surviving the year by a feast with the friendly Indians. It was so good that the Indians add deer, wild geese and ducks, and such and it lasted three days.

Answer 3

It’s different in different countries, many have a Thanksgiving. In the US it was a feast between the pilgrims and the Indians when there was a truce. It wasn’t a huge deal (getting a harvest and peace were – but they weren’t planning a permanent holiday thing) but an interesting note is according to legend it was the first time Europeans had popcorn. Corn was a native crop and one Indian tribe showed some Europeans how to plant it - but this time they brought popcorn (already popped ug) to the feast. The feast was mythologized with that city on the hill BS - and also was talked up at the time to promote the ‘noble savage.’ Euro Indian affairs depended vastly on the tribe. Most First contact involved the Europeans getting shot. Most tribes weren’t interested in meeting anyone nor were they peaceful. There are plenty of ship's accounts and later letter etc from those times. Read all about it. Anyway the mythology became a sort of quasi religious holiday of counting blessings and giving thanks. Powhatan, Pocohontas etc. The pilgrims were not the same as the Jamestown colonist for god’s sake. Although there is little to no written record at the time the Iroquois tribes were engaged in massive genocide of far older east coast groups – this led to some strange bedfellows, especially in Canada. In the USA we eat turkey, cranberries and other native foods and watch football. Look up John Smith, Oppenocochough, Mistress Proctor, Percy’s letters, Jamestown, the Ohio River man etc. USA history is fun and exciting. Oh yeah, you are supposed to say a blessing - its a major holiday to be with family and say all the things you are thankful for. Count your blessings

Answer 4

Thanksgiving is a reflective day of thanks (think about what you have, family, friends) which has to be declared yearly by the President so it is not an actual holiday until that time.
The only relationship to Christmas is Thanksgiving is the start of what is called the "Holiday Season" (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, New Years, and others).

Answer 5

Thanksgiving has nothing to do with Christmas, they are two separate holidays. In America we celebrate Thanksgiving as way to show that we are thankful for all of the good blessings that we have had. It originated with the early settlers.

Answer 6

Its a holiday for Americans. A pilgrim thing....a day to thank the Lord for the food provided and grown by the Pilgrims in their first year of the colony.

Answer 7

I would add a couple of details. The American Indians not only taught the pilgrims how to plant but basically carried them through the first year with donations of grain and game they'd harvested or hunted. So the first harvest was very important.

Answer 8

No it isn't. In the US, it is the fourth Thursday in November, so they use it as the kickoff to the Christmas season. It is an independent holiday, though.

Answer 9

Where have you been, under a rock for about a couple of hundred years. Ask you school teacher... Are you blond? Anyway, no it is not part of Christmas.

Answer 10

thanksgiving is to be celebrated for being thankful we have food, jobs, family and by thanking God for all the wonderful things he bestowed on us