History of Thanksgiving Day Holiday
Although the history of the Thanksgiving Day holiday involves the Pilgrims' gratitude for a bountiful harvest in 1621, Thanksgiving Day did not become an official national holiday in the United States until it was endorsed by Congress in 1941. Of course, the feast was commemorated during the almost 300 years between its origination and the congressional endorsement.
Thanksgiving Day History
The Pilgrims, who came to what is now the Eastern United States on the Mayflower in 1620, originally celebrated both their survival and an abundant harvest with a great feast. According to the Pilgrim Hall Museum, this feast was not originally called a "Thanksgiving" even though it was held to give thanks to God and was religious in nature. The feast consisted of five deer killed by their Native American neighbors (known for many years as "Indians"), plus corn and other native vegetables from the first year's harvest. Members of the indigenous tribes were instrumental in introducing the Pilgrims to dried corn meal and other native food sources. In addition, the first year's diet included various fowl and fish.
Interestingly, the harvest feast was a tradition among many Native American groups, not just those who lived near Plymouth. Therefore, it is somewhat likely that the natives shared their tradition with the Pilgrims who also had every reason to celebrate. They had endured a difficult journey followed by the effort to acclimate themselves to a new place with new food sources.
Origins of the Holiday
Until 1939, Thanksgiving Day feasts, which commemorated the original feast in Plymouth, were held by the individual colonies and then states. Only during the Civil War was a national holiday declared, but it was not signed into law. In 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt did declare that the holiday would be observed on the fourth Thursday of November each year, but Congress did not make it official for two more years.
According to the History Channel, a number of foods we now consider an integral part of our Thanksgiving dinners were probably not part of the Pilgrims' original menu, such as:
- Ham
- Sweet potatoes, yams or potatoes
- Pumpkin pie (However, pumpkin was likely served as a stewed vegetable.)
- Cranberry sauce (No sugar was available to make sauce.)
- Cow's milk and cheese (Goat's milk cheese could have been part of the menu.)
The History Channel also details that the first Thanksgiving did not contain the traditional desserts such as pies and cakes since there were no ovens and the sugar supply brought on the Mayflower had been close to depleted.
How Thanksgiving Day Is Celebrated Now
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday for a family to come together and for members to share whatever bounty they have with each other. Senior members of a family often act as hosts and sometimes prepare the entire meal. Other times, the preparation of the meal is shared with the extended family. Most families make sure traditional dishes are on the table year after year, and recipes are often handed from one generation to another.
Thanksgiving is also a time when people remember less fortunate members of the community, and Thanksgiving feasts are provided at community centers, senior centers, missions, churches and other organizations. These events are often held on a date adjacent to the official Thanksgiving Day so that volunteers and organization staff can join their own families for Thanksgiving dinner at home.
Elementary schools often integrate a Thanksgiving feast into the curriculum as a means of teaching about the country's history. Children and their parents participate in preparing and eating traditional dishes.
Keeping With Tradition
Although the celebration has changed somewhat over the years, the history of the Thanksgiving Day holiday shows that many of the elements of the original holiday have been retained. Extended families gather and bring to the table a bounty of dishes, many of which have their roots in the foods served at the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621.
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