This is a semi-serious-semi-humorous ceremony on the eve of the holiday, during which the president reads a decree on pardoning a turkey in front of the White House. Many turkeys are eaten during the holiday, but at least one bird should avoid such a fate. About 50 years ago, US President Harry Truman began the tradition of pardoning a turkey. In addition to that, newspapers advertise donations for charitable holiday dinners for the homeless, and there are even special tables at subway stations where you can put gifts for those in need.Īmong all the traditions, perhaps the funniest one is turkey pardoning. After the holiday itself, Americans have two more days off, during which most of them usually do some charity work. During the holiday dinner, there is a tradition of counting the so-called “gifts of fate.” So basically, everyone takes a blank sheet of paper and writes down all the good things that happened to them for which they are grateful as well as the bad things and things they forgive others. Among the traditional meals are turkey, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. Usually, on this day, the families go to church and have Thanksgiving dinner. The holiday is associated with many traditions that Americans carefully preserve to this day. It was he who set the date when the holiday is still celebrated – the fourth Thursday of November. But Thanksgiving became a national holiday only in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War called on the parties to sit together at the table, as on Thanksgiving. The official name and date (November 26) were given to the holiday more than 160 years later, after the decree of the then US President George Washington in 1789. Hence, the following autumn the settlers got good crops that allowed them to survive another winter and it was decided to hold a huge holiday as a sign of gratitude to God for his mercy and generosity.
They taught the colonists how to grow beans, corn, and pumpkins as well as showed them where to hunt game.
However, local indigenous tribes helped the English settlers survive. Unfortunately, the first winter was very severe and many of those people died of hunger and disease. They left their homeland due to religious persecution and went on such a dangerous journey in search of free land. About a hundred pilgrims arrived on the ship. Thanksgiving dates back to 1620 when the English ship Mayflower finally reached the coast of America after a two-month voyage.
On this day, in many cities, they organize football matches and hold festive processions. In the twenty-first century, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in a big way. Every fourth Thursday of November, America forgets about all the problems, roasts a turkey and sits down at a large family table.
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