What is the purpose of Thanksgiving?

Question

I am British and obviously we don't celebrate thanksgiving. Could someone tell me what the purpose is of this celebration. And how it came about. Do you celebrate it in the same way you celebrate Xmas, i.e., exchange gists and eat traditional Xmas dinner? Am interested to know about this celebration!

Answer 1

It is to commemorate the early pilgrims who came here, suffered greatly, and finally raised enough crops to have a harvest festival. The pilgrims and the Indians, who were friendly for the most part, held a big feast to celebrate the harvest and give thanks for having survived.

We don't give gifts, but we have big family feasts, and often a tradition of watching the Macy's parade (from New York City) on TV, and then there are the football games.

Of course, there are households that do not have televisions, and even a few where the television is turned off and people play games or read or enjoy conversation. But the heart of the holiday is the feast, usually including a roast turkey, stuffing, yams, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin or mince pies. There are a lot of other things some people include, but those are the really traditional elements.

Answer 2

The holiday is originally based of the pilgrims coming to America. They met the Indians living here...the Indians taught the pilgrims to hunt and grow vegetables. When the fall harvest came they planned a huge feast where everyone gathered to celebrate. Modern times...a traditional dinner with family and friends takes place on this day. There are usually parades and football games on TV

Answer 3

called Turkey Day spoke of via Canada, u . s . a . form Cultural importance a occasion of being grateful for what one has and the bounty of the previous year. Date 2nd Monday in October (Canada), fourth Thursday in November (u . s . a .). 2006 date October 9 (Canada) November 23 (u . s . a .) Celebrations Parades, Spending Time with kinfolk, eating super Dinners, soccer (Canada and u . s . a .) video games touching directly to Christmas and New year's Day which end the yank holiday season, and Columbus Day. Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is an annual one-day holiday to grant thank you, traditionally to God, for the failings one has on the close of the harvest season. interior united statesa., Thanksgiving is widely known on the fourth Thursday of November, and in Canada this is widely known on the 2nd Monday in October. in the united kingdom, Thanksgiving is yet another call for the Harvest pageant, held in church homes around the rustic on a suitable Sunday to mark the tip of the close by harvest, nonetheless it rather isn't any longer seen a significant experience (in comparison to Christmas or Easter) as this is in North united statesa., the place this prepare taken via early settlers became plenty extra significant. different ecu countries, which comprise Germany, even have harvest-thank you (Erntedank) celebrations that are looked as though it would be quite minor and in general rural holiday journeys

Answer 4

The 1st winter in America was looking bad for the Pilgrim Fathers they were staving to death, the local Native Americans took pity on them and fed them. The Native Americans were repaid for this act of kindness by having their lands stolen and their People Murdered, for some reason the Americans see this as a time to celebrate, Me I think the Native Americans should just have let them die.

Answer 5

Oh boy...well it's just like Christmas, without the gifts. So basically it's a lame excuse for people to cook too much and eat until they explode. But this is the story: http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/pilgrims.htm

Answer 6

The purpose of thanksgiving is to give to people and be thankful for god and and other things. I don't wanna get into the whole story but it got started by the pilgrams and the indians

Answer 7

No, its not like christmas it is different you dont have gifts the, gift is the pilgrims coming to north america for religious freedom, and when the american tribes helped the pilgrims survive through the winter, at the end of winter they had a feast, so they gave thanks to their god for the food.

Answer 8

It is about giving thanks for everything!!!! The Pilgrims came and had a dinner with The Natives and that is pratically how America started besides Christiphor Columbas!!!!!

Answer 9

Squanto

Answer 10

TO BE WITH YOUR FAMLY