The true meaning of "Thanksgiving"




Thanksgiving Day is one of my favorite holidays. A holiday that is celebrated on every fourth Thursday of the month of November. This day is set aside as a day to spend with loved ones, celebrate with family and give thanks. 


Do you know why this day is celebrated?


History of Thanksgiving traditions



Maybe you are wondering how this day came about and why it is celebrated. 
This big day is said to have its origin from the Pilgrim’s meal that was carried out at the Plymouth Rock in 1621. It’s said Pilgrims Plymouth colony experienced a difficult winter that was filled with diseases, death and starvation and received assistance from one of the native Americans by the name Squanto and his Patuxet tribe. It’s believed that the Native Americans taught the pilgrims how to grow crops on their own and after they experienced the first fruitful harvest, they celebrated with a feast which today is famously celebrated a the Thanksgiving Day.


When did Thanksgiving Day become an official Day?

Thanksgiving festivals were unceremoniously celebrated throughout the 1600s but did not become an official annual event until the 1700s when every state set aside a special day for the holiday. It was in 1789 when George Washington declared the national celebration of thanksgiving. However, this day did not get an official fixed date until 1983 in the midst of Civil War when President Abraham Lincoln set aside the last Thursday in November for the day of Thanksgiving. Although dates differ with the state, this day is celebrated to date on every 4th Thursday of the month of November in USA. This is simply how the date became an holiday.



What food do you prepare for your family?



Have you maintained it to the way your parents and grandparents used to do? Do you use their traditional recipes? Or is it time to be a little adventurous and try a few new recipes out and  cook one delicious meal that you have always saved for the day. 

However, to an ordinary person, the day is not complete without their favorite meal. What are the most commonly cooked foods? Most people will mention turkey at the first instance. Other than roasted turkey, foods like mashed potatoes, maize corn, pumpkin pies and sweet potatoes make the day. As we all know, the list of food that can be cooked on this day is innumerable. Other appetizing foods that are enjoyed are; cranberry sauce, ham, apple cider, buttered rum, fruit cake, mixed nuts, dumplings, fudge and pies.

Thanksgiving day is around the corner. Make it worthwhile by celebrating with family and friends. It’s a day to give thanks and rejoice. Make it count!

18 comments

  1. I love Thanksgiving! I love the food and the family time. I'm looking forward to it this year.

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  2. Great post! Thanksgiving is so fun. I love all the food and being with family.

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  3. Thanksgiving for us is in October and I love every minute of it! I hope you have a great one this year!

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  4. I have heard two different stories as to the origins of Thanksgiving. I didn't know when it became an official holiday, though. After my husband and I got married, we decided to create our own Thanksgiving traditions. One of our traditions is we like to change the foods we make for Thanksgiving. For instance, last year we cooked duck instead of turkey. Another tradition we do is put up our Christmas tree!

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  5. This is often forgotten, I love that you shared this!

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  6. Loving this insight! Thank you for sharing!

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  7. I love knowing about holiday traditions! We've passed down some silly, and great ones through the years!

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  8. Here in Honduras, kids at school celebrate it eating pancakes.
    and we pray and give thanks to the Lord for everything he has given us.

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  9. Love learning more about holiday traditions. Thank you for sharing :)

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  10. Thanksgiving will always be my favorite holiday, I enjoyed this post :) xo

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  11. One of my favorite holidays of the year!

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  12. Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday!

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  13. In Honduras we dont celebrate Thanksgiving but I agree it is a holiday you should spend with your family

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  14. Love this! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and I truly love spending it with my big family!

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  15. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays too. Its one of the few time families get to reconnect and enjoy good food.

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  16. I love Thanksgiving. I am originally from Ukraine. So we do all the usual dishes (turkey, mashed potatoes) and add our flavor from Ukraine to it like potato and orher vegetables salad and even blintzes.
    Its a fiest 😊

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  17. Lovely post, I wish most of us will reflect on what Thanksgiving really is, and the spirit of it...

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  18. I discovered Thanksgiving when I moved to the US almost 5 years ago, and it's now my favorite Holiday! I love that it's all about family.

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