Thanksgiving is a traditional holiday that annually brings together families and friends. They gather together in companionship to celebrate the holiday, being a unique experience for all those involved. Every year, millions of people celebrate Thanksgiving across the globe, each with their own mix of unique and shared traditions, celebrates a holiday with an extremely rich history tracing back centuries to the English Reformation.
Although Americans typically regard 1619 as the first recorded annual Thanksgiving in North America, historians debate that that might not be the case. Some argue that the first Thanksgiving occurred in 1578 during a voyage from England led by Martin Frobisher. Their journey to Canada was one of great fortune, and so they celebrated Holy Communion after successfully landing in Newfoundland. Another recorded case is that of French settlers and Samuel de Champlain in 1604, after venturing the Atlantic and arriving in New France, now Canada. After two years, they founded the Order of Good Cheer and celebrated their first meeting on November 14, 1606. Here, they gave their thanks along with celebrating feasts and, surprisingly, entertainment.
In the United States, it is a federal holiday always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Celebration typically includes feasting on turkey, potatoes, cranberries, and delectables such as pumpkin pie. The United States values entertainment in the sense that it has incorporated its own traditions such as the American Thanksgiving Parade or the very popular NFL football games. In Canada, they share a similar taste in the classic holiday cuisine including turkey, ham, stuffing and mashed potatoes with gravy. Along with the food, they also have their own unique desserts including butter tarts or Nanaimo bars. Rather than in November, Canadian Thanksgiving is most commonly celebrated on the second Monday of October after a proclamation by Vincent Massey in 1957.
Thanksgiving is an interesting holiday filled with so much potential learning, and I hope that everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving! Go Knights!
