Pilgrims
The tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving by eating together began in America in 1621. Pilgrims living in Plymouth, Massachusetts held a dinner party with Native Americans of the Wampanoag tribe. The tradition of Thanksgiving dinner continues until now and is called "Thanksgiving dinner" with a main menu in the form of turkey. Part of the story of the origin of Thanksgiving in America is a myth that developed around the 1890s and early 1900s. Thanksgiving was intended as part of an effort to create national identity after the Civil War, and part of the awareness of the melting pot for new immigrants.
In 1621, the pilgrims set a day to celebrate celebrating the colony's first crop in Plymouth, New England. At that time, the party was held not to celebrate Thanksgiving, but rather a harvest party which was a tradition of the British and Indians of the Wampanoag tribe. Some colony officials wrote personal notes about the party in 1621 in Massachusetts.
The following notes are quoted from the book Of Plymouth Plantation written by Pilgrim leader William Bradford:
"They are now starting to collect small crops produced, and prepare homes and dwellings to face the winter, all of which are blessed with health and strength and all supplies are abundant. While some people work outside the home, some go fishing, cod, sea bass and other fish, all of which are stored and owned by every family in sufficient quantities. During the summer poultry is not needed, and now has a supply of poultry. Winter is approaching, this place is still abundant when they first arrive (but after it decreases little by little.) In addition to waterfowl, there are many supplies of wild turkeys, which many take by them, in addition to venison, etc. In addition, they have had to measure food rations a week for everyone, or now from harvest, corn Indians according to the same dosage, which made many people afterwards write happily about the abundant harvests of kep there are their friends in England, who are not made up, all are true reports. "
Writing by Mayflower leader Pilgrim Edward Winslow in the book Mourt's Relations:
"Our harvest has been brought in, our governor sent four people to hunt poultry, so we can celebrate together on special occasions after finishing collecting the results of hard work. The four of them in one day got the same number of poultry, with a group of people for a week, that with a little help. At that time, among other free time fillers, when we held celebrations, many Indians came to our place, and among them the greatest king Massasoit, along with ninety people, whom we entertained and feasted on eating for three days, and they went hunting and got five deer, which we brought to the plantation and offered to our governors, captains and others. And even though we didn't always have abundance as before at the same time, we were always above what we wanted, all of them thanks to God's goodness, we also want you to enjoy the abundance we have. "
Winslow's record of ninety Indians was very interesting. The number of indigenous people present exceeded 50 British people who survived at that time. The previous two sentences only recorded the incident at that time, but historians assume the two groups (British and Native Americans) held a celebration that was not yet common.
Pilgrims did not hold Thanksgiving as it is known now until 1623, after experiencing drought, prayer asked for rain, and rain succeeded in falling later. Thanksgiving celebrations are carried out irregularly and are only done if there is a pleasant event, or after food shortages due to unpleasant events. In the tradition of pilgrims in Plymouth, Thanksgiving is more of a church celebration and not a feast.
The Thanksgiving party held after the harvest gradually developed in the middle of the 17th century. But the day of organizing Thanksgiving was not yet in unison, each colony had its own Thanksgiving day.
The Massachusetts Bay colony celebrated its first Thanksgiving in 1630. Since then Thanksgiving has been held regularly, until finally around 1680 it was designated as an annual festival in the Massachusetts Bay colony. The Connecticut colony began Thanksgiving since 1639, held it every year until 1647, with the exception of 1675. The Dutch in New Netherland set a special day to celebrate Thanksgiving in 1644, and after that it was sometimes re-established.
American Revolutionary War until the formation of the state
During the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress set a date for Thanksgiving which could be one or more days, with the exception of 1777. Each time the Thanksgiving date was set, the Continental Congress encouraged the leaders of each state to take Thanksgiving on a specified date.
George Washington, revolutionary forces leader in the American Revolutionary War announced Thanksgiving in December 1777 as a celebration of victory after defeating British forces in the Battle of Saratoga. Every year, the Continental Congress from 1777 to 1783 establishes Thanksgiving in December, with the exception of 1782.
In 1789 and 1795, George Washington once again announced Thanksgiving, but this time in his capacity as president.
The determination of Thanksgiving by President George Washington in 1789 was thanks to the recommendation of a resolution established by the House of Representatives and the Senate. Thanksgiving was set nationally on November 26, 1789. The reason for holding Thanksgiving was "to encourage the people of the United States, a day to pray and give thanks to the public, to be commemorated with a thank you statement from the bottom of your heart for thanksgiving and signs of God's goodness Almighty, especially that has given the people the opportunity to establish a form of government peacefully, for the safety and happiness of the people ... "(signed) G. Washington, The Massachusetts Sentinel, Wednesday, October 14, 1789.
President John Adams declared Thanksgiving in 1798 and 1799. President Madison, set a day for Thanksgiving at the end of the nearly 1812 war in response to the resolution of Congress. In addition, President Madison had set a Thanksgiving holiday twice in 1815, but both were not celebrated in the fall.
Since 1817, every year the Governor of New York has set a Thanksgiving day. In some Southern countries, Thanksgiving has been opposed on the grounds that it only retains the remnants of puritan culture. But in 1858, the governors of 25 states and 2 territories had established Thanksgiving together.
In the midst of the United States Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln set a national Thanksgiving day to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November 1863. The determination of Thanksgiving was a reaction to a series of editorials written by Sarah Joseph Hale. Since 1863, Thanksgiving is officially celebrated every year in the United States.
President Roosevelt's period until now
In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established Thanksgiving on the third Thursday in November and no longer on the fourth Thursday. This announcement was made when the American economy was still in the midst of the Great Depression. President Roosevelt intended to give traders a longer chance to sell as many items as possible before Christmas arrived. Increased merchant income and increased public expenditure are expected to help the country from the economic downturn. At that time, sales of goods for Christmas were still not worthy of being advertised until Thanksgiving finished. The Roosevelt Declaration of Thanksgiving was only followed by 23 states, while 22 states did not heed it. States such as Texas decide nothing and consider the third and fourth Thursday of the week as government holidays. In 1940, President Roosevelt insisted on celebrating Thanksgiving a week earlier (the third Thursday of the week) known as Franksgiving. In 1941, the United States Congress appeared as a mediator and set Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November, which sometimes falls on the last Thursday of the week, and sometimes falls on Thursday before the last Thursday of the week. President Roosevelt set this bill into law on November 26, 1941.
Since 1947, each year the National Turkey Federation has a tradition of giving gifts of 2 turkeys that have been cleaned and ready to be cooked and one turkey is alive to the President of the United States. A living turkey is forgiven for his life and lives peacefully as a pet on a farm. This tradition dates back to the time of President Harry Truman in 1947, but there is no evidence in this Truman Library library. Another opinion said that the tradition of forgiving turkeys began with President Abraham Lincoln who promised not to cut off his son's pet turkey. Both versions of the story were often quoted in a presidential speech.
Lately, the number of turkeys that have been forgiven has been two. In case one turkey is unable to receive clemency from the President. Since 2003, the public has been invited to participate in the contest giving the name turkey. In 2005, the names chosen were Marshmallow and Yam (who now lives in Disneyland). Biscuit and Gravy were chosen as the names of two turkeys in 2004. In 2003, both were named Stars and Stripes.
Since 1970, a group of people with a core of Indian tribes held a controversial memorial to the National Day of Mourning in protest at Thanksgiving at Plymouth Rock, Plymouth, Massachusetts.
