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Why is Thanksgiving Day celebrated?
Thanksgiving has its roots in harvest celebrations, particularly the historic 1621 holiday in Plymouth, Massachusetts. At this event, the English settlers (the “pilgrims”) shared a meal with the Wampanoag natives to thank them for their help during their first year in the New World. This event symbolizes gratitude for the abundance of food and mutual support. That is considered the first Thanksgiving in history.
However, some Historians point out that other similar thanks They occurred in North America before 1621. An example is a celebration in 1619 in the colony of Berkeley Hundred, in Virginia. Although it was not a grand festival with a banquet, it was a ceremony of gratitude established in the colonists’ instructions upon arrival.
The Plymouth story became established as “the first Thanksgiving” because, in the 18th century, descendants of these settlers promoted this version of the story as foundational to American culture and values.
Additionally, the image of the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth became a national symbol during the Civil War, when President Abraham Lincoln declared in 1864 that the holiday be celebrated throughout the country, aligning this historic event with the ideals of unity and gratitude.
When is Thanksgiving 2024?
In 2024, Thanksgiving Day in the United States will be celebrated today, Thursday, November 28. This holiday is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November every year.
¿Y el Black Friday?
Black Friday, which occurs the day after Thanksgiving, marks the start of the holiday shopping season. Traditionally, stores offer significant discounts and special promotions, making this day one of the most important days for retail. According to an Adobe Analytics analysis, in 2023, sales reached a record of $9.8 billion.
The term “Black Friday” was popularized in Philadelphia in the 1960s, when local police officers used the phrase to describe the heavy traffic of people out shopping. Over time, the concept of great deals and high commercial activity consolidated, and now it is a date that many wait for to get low prices on technology, fashion and other products.
How does the historical context surrounding the Plymouth Thanksgiving, including its relationship to Native Americans, impact our understanding of the holiday today?
## Why Do We Celebrate Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving, celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada, is fundamentally a holiday centered around gratitude and harvest. Its roots stretch back to early harvest celebrations, with the historic 1621 event in Plymouth, Massachusetts, often considered the foundational Thanksgiving. [ [1](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/151121-first-thanksgiving-pilgrims-native-americans-wampanoag-saints-and-strangers) ]
This event saw English settlers, known as Pilgrims, sharing a meal with the Wampanoag Native Americans. This act of togetherness symbolized gratitude for the bountiful harvest and the Wampanoag’s essential aid during the Pilgrims’ first year in the New World.
However, it’s worth noting that other thanksgiving-like celebrations predated the Plymouth event. Some historians point to a 1619 ceremony in Virginia’s Berkeley Hundred colony, highlighting a formal day of thanks mandated by the colonists’ instructions upon arrival. While not a grand feast, it demonstrates that expressions of gratitude for a good harvest were practiced in North America before 1621. [[1](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/151121-first-thanksgiving-pilgrims-native-americans-wampanoag-saints-and-strangers)]
Despite these earlier instances, the Plymouth story became deeply ingrained in American cultural identity as the “first Thanksgiving.” The holiday evolved over centuries, eventually becoming a national celebration in the United States, centered around family gatherings, feasting, and reflecting on the blessings of the past year.
