americans can you tell me what thanks giving is?

Question

im from uk ive never known what it is or what the story is behind it

Answer 1

Good question.

The Pilgrims who sailed to this country aboard the Mayflower were originally members of the English Separatist Church (a Puritan sect). They had earlier fled their home in England and sailed to Holland (The Netherlands) to escape religious persecution. There, they enjoyed more religious tolerance, but they eventually became disenchanted with the Dutch way of life, thinking it ungodly. Seeking a better life, the Separatists negotiated with a London stock company to finance a pilgrimage to America. Most of those making the trip aboard the Mayflower were non-Separatists, but were hired to protect the company's interests. Only about one-third of the original colonists were Separatists.
The Pilgrims set ground at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. At the beginning of the following fall, they had lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on the Mayflower. But the harvest of 1621 was a bountiful one. And the remaining colonists decided to celebrate with a feast -- including 91 Indians who had helped the Pilgrims survive their first year. It is believed that the Pilgrims would not have made it through the year without the help of the natives. The feast was more of a traditional English harvest festival than a true "thanksgiving" observance. It lasted three days.


This "thanksgiving" feast was not repeated the following year. But in 1623, during a severe drought, the pilgrims gathered in a prayer service, praying for rain. When a long, steady rain followed the very next day, Governor Bradford proclaimed another day of Thanksgiving, again inviting their Indian friends. It wasn't until June of 1676 that another Day of Thanksgiving was proclaimed.

It eventually became a tradition every year Americans would give thanks to God and celebrate the good Harvest god gave them with a feast. Inviting family and friends to share in the celebration.

Answer 2

As Barrow pointed out, thanksgiving is also held in Canada, but a month or so earlier.
Here's the important economic thing to think about when it comes to Thanksgiving in the USA, it overshadows much in my opinion:
The Amercian President changed the date in America in the 1930's to create a definite day to start the Christmas shopping season. It was all to give merchants a boost. Christmas shopping after that traditionally started the day after, from that year forward.
I read that part somewhere online.
Otherwise, the food people get a bonus because a lot of people spend money they can not afford on food that will only make them fatter, and then spend time either sleeping off the carbs or arguing with relatives they are forced to see at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
A really nice arrangement. Oh yes, people may opt to actually be thankful for the year's blessings.
--That Cheeky Lad

Answer 3

First of all, it's Thanksgiving...one word. Takes place on the third Thursday of November.
It's a day we've been celebrating for a long time in rememberance of when the pilgrams and the indians became mates and shared food with one another.
Pretty much, nowadays, it's just another reason to kill innocent turkeys (a really stupid bird for the record...and I'm a vegetarian), and have a few days off work since we only get 2 weeks off a year.

Answer 4

I'm sure that there's some official definition of Thanksgiving somewhere, but, in layman's terms, It's a symbolic holiday that supposedly commemorates some feast the Pilgrims had when America was first colonized. We know now that it really doesn't coincide with anything at all, but we take the holiday and use it as a good excuse to hang out with family, reflect on those things that we're thankful for (like our family, friends, food...), and eat a lot of turkey.

Answer 5

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the third Thursday of November. It celebrates the first harvest that the pilgrims that had came to America ate with the Native Americans.

Answer 6

Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is an annual one-day holiday to give thanks, traditionally to God, for the things one has at the end of the harvest season. In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October.

Answer 7

Pilgrims who started USA did the first thanksgiving and later on it was declared to be a national holiday for giving thanks..

Answer 8

Its when chandler gets all miserable!!..................

ps how can that woman 2nd from the top say turkeys are stupid?!?!?!>.......................i mean whats that all about

Answer 9

im from the uk and i always wondered wat it was about tut tut.(shame on me)thanks for the answer anyway oh and lol to the girl who said a turkey is stupid ???????????????????? wat planet is she on?

Answer 10

isn't it something like they give thanks that the indians they killed for their land fought so badly?