Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States and Canada that traces its origins to harvest festivals that were celebrated in England and brought to North America by European settlers.
In the US, the first Thanksgiving is said to have been celebrated by Pilgrims and Native Americans in 1621 at Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts. The Pilgrims had survived a harsh winter after arriving to the New World the previous year, and held a three-day feast in early autumn of 1621 to celebrate their successful corn harvest and good fortune.
This event is often referred to as the First Thanksgiving and inspired an annual tradition of harvest celebrations. During the American Revolution, political leaders used the idea of a commonly shared Thanksgiving feast to promote unity. In 1789, President George Washington proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving, calling on Americans to express their gratitude for the end of the war and the ratification of the US Constitution.
In 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a national holiday to be celebrated every November. Canadians also have their own history of harvest celebrations that were consolidated into an annual national holiday by the 20th century.
While traditions have evolved, Thanksgiving continues to be celebrated with festive meals and family gatherings as a day for reflecting on blessings and giving thanks.
