Thanksgiving, that American Thanksgiving is celebrated in the USA every year in November celebrated. Besides Christmas, Thanksgiving is one of the most important holidays of every American. Since the American Thanksgiving differs fundamentally from the Thanksgiving we know in Germany, we will show you the following: 11 most important facts around the American festival Thanksgiving .
Where is Thanksgiving celebrated?
The traditional Thanksgiving meal is celebrated in all states of the USA and celebrated in Canada.
In many other countries around the world, a harvest festival is celebrated as a counterpart. Germany For example, Thanksgiving is always celebrated on first Sunday in October celebrated.
Unlike in the USA and most parts of Canada, the harvest festival in Germany It is not a public holiday . This is partly because Thanksgiving is not considered very important in Germany, while it is a major holiday in the USA. most important festivals of the year may be counted.
When is Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is not celebrated on a specific, fixed date in the USA. The so-called Thanksgiving Day always takes place on fourth Thursday of November instead of.
Thanksgiving was established in 1865 due to a proclamation by President Andrew Johnson already on first Thursday It was celebrated in November. Four years later, in 1869, President Ulysses S. Grant had already elected the The third Thursday is celebrated as Thanksgiving Day . In all other years – until 1939 – Thanksgiving was celebrated as a public holiday. on the last Thursday in November celebrated, just as the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, had once decreed.
It wasn't until 1939, when the National Retail Dry Goods Association Wanting to extend the Christmas shopping season and putting pressure on the American president, Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving Day by one week to the second-to-last Thursday of the month .
The association had already submitted a similar request in 1933, but it was rejected at the time because Roosevelt believed that this change was inappropriate. too much confusion could donate.
Then in 1939, a Utter chaos around Thanksgiving The change to Thanksgiving Day was actually only intended for the District of Columbia and federal employees. It was assumed that the Governors of the other states would follow the state proclamation for the same day.
Instead, 23 of the 48 states celebrated Thanksgiving this year. already on November 23rd , while 23 states celebrate the American Thanksgiving on November 30th celebrated. Furthermore, Texas and Colorado declared Both Thursdays are public holidays .
After two years of confusion and numerous complaints, President Roosevelt signed a Law that the Thanksgiving Day as the fourth Thursday should be determined in November.
To ensure that future presidents can no longer influence the planning of Thanksgiving Day, Congress passed a law stating that the Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving is celebrated on the last Thursday of the month in five out of seven years. This is why Thanksgiving is still celebrated today. always on the fourth Thursday in November instead of.
Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving?
The A story about Thanksgiving The exact origins of the festival are not entirely clear. Most Americans assume that the Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth Rock together with the native Wampanoag Indians They celebrated a three-day harvest festival as a thank you.
Without the help of the indigenous people, the settlers from Europe would not have been able to survive. about 400 years ago They probably didn't survive the harsh winter. The Native Americans showed the Europeans how best to survive. Growing corn and their Fertilizing fields and helped them to settle in the new land. According to legend, the settlers and the Wampanoag people together created the very first Thanksgiving celebrated.
Thanksgiving origins - when was it first celebrated?
In the year 1620 set out courageous emigrants on the way to America to do a better life to be able to lead. In their homeland, many no food and no work and hoped to be able to start all over again in America.
In Plymouth, a port city in southwest England, numerous people boarded the The ship Mayflower , with which they intended to sail to America. The crossing of the Atlantic proved to be very difficult, because many emigrants the trip did not survive . The reason was the many Diseases that could easily spread on board.
Even after the emigrants arrived in America, things didn't really improve. The settlers found this difficult. climate and the different Animal and plant life to create things they didn't know from their homeland. Thus, they were reborn. Serious diseases claimed some lives. Other settlers died from... Hunger and weakness .
The Wampanoag tribe of Indians became aware of the settlers' suffering and showed the emigrants how to live in their survive in new home can. As a thank you, both parties celebrated in the year 1621 together the The first Thanksgiving celebration . This is still considered the first Thanksgiving celebration. Birth moment Thanksgiving Day.
What are the traditions of Thanksgiving?
On Thanksgiving Day It is a tradition in the USA that the whole family gathered and a grand feast organized. It is not uncommon for many Americans to across the USA travel to Thanksgiving and that the following weekend to spend time with their families. Among the most important customs is the Prayer of thanksgiving at the table .
This is usually spoken by the head of the family. However, in many families, it is the case that... every person present He reveals in turn what he is thankful for, what has particularly moved him in the past, and what his Wishes for the future are. Since Thanksgiving is Day of “Giving Thanks” Many Americans also help people who are less fortunate. For example, they provide food for Donated to the homeless and needy .
For many families, it has now become a tradition to spend the afternoon together. Football on television to watch. Both teams are always there, by the way. "Detroit Lions" and the "Dallas Cowboys" . Also popular is the Thanksgiving Parade in New York, which many families follow live on television. It traditionally starts on 77th Street in New York and runs west of Central Park along 6th Avenue, until it finally reaches the Macy's Shopping Center ends.
Many Americans take the Friday after Thanksgiving, the so-called Black Friday , the official start of the Christmas shopping season, is free. So they can... long weekend spend time together with their friends and families.
What do you eat at Thanksgiving?
American families typically have a Thanksgiving meal. Stuffed turkey on the lavishly set table. The traditional stuffing for the turkey consists of bread, onions, celery, eggs, parsley, and various spices. But here, too, there are There are numerous variations ; for example, turkeys are often stuffed with apricots and bacon or with apples and rice. Patrick Ryan shows how in his video. Perfect turkey for Thanksgiving succeeds.
In addition to the main course, there is of course also a A wide variety of side dishes . Particularly popular are... Sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes, green vegetables such as peas, beans, or Brussels sprouts. These are often served with a Delicious cranberry sauce, which is also available in our shop.
As appetizer will be attached Thanksgiving Corn soup is often served. For dessert, many families have... Pumpkin Pie – a delicious pumpkin pie. But also the Apple Pie and Pecan Pie ( Click here for the recipe ) are on Thanksgiving extremely popular.
As you can see, the number of dishes and treats is very extensive. It's practically considered good form. Seconds to order. However, it is usually the case that there is still one Amount of food what remains. The so-called "Leftovers" They are consumed in the following days. Did you know that "leftover food" often popular is, as the food on Thanksgiving itself? From the remaining turkey Many Americans do this Turkey sandwiches . Here too, the delicious cranberry sauce of course, it shouldn't be missing.
How many turkeys are eaten at Thanksgiving?
Every year in the USA approximately 46 million turkeys consumed. With approximately 330 million inhabitants, that amounts to... One turkey for every seven people .
But not all turkeys are eaten! The so-called National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation is now part of the customs of White House . The president is given a live turkey presented. Since 1989 it has been a tradition that the current US President presented at Thanksgiving turkey (and that (Replacement animal ) pardoned . This is how George W. Bush and Barack Obama each “saved” someone during their time in office. 16 turkeys the life.
How important is Thanksgiving to Americans?
As mentioned at the beginning, it counts Thanksgiving in addition to Christmas to the most important holidays of an American. Thanksgiving is almost as important to the American people as the Independence Day (Independence Day or Fourth of July) on July 4th.
Thanksgiving is the day when Money and work are losing importance and friends and family are the focus. In hardly any other country in the world is Thanksgiving celebrated as much as in the USA. This is also due to the zealous patriotism the Americans together. In the USA, people are particularly proud of the long-ago, important historical events , customs and traditions, some of which several centuries are old.
Black Friday and Thanksgiving
The Black Friday is the day in the USA after Thanksgiving . This heralds the Christmas shopping season a.
The focus of Black Friday is on large Retail discounts designed to stimulate consumption. Since Friday is usually a busy day due to Thanksgiving... long weekend Since the day is taken off and serves as a kind of bridge day, many Americans use it to... first Christmas shopping to get things done. Many shops are therefore already opening in the early morning hours .
It often happens that many people are already in the middle of the night. long queues waiting in front of the shops for eagerly awaited bargain to grab a bargain. From an economic point of view, Black Friday in the USA serves as An important indicator for Christmas business .
The origin of the name "Black Friday" cannot be determined. not without doubt prove it. Most plausibly and most popular The following explanations are provided:
- The name comes from the fact that the large crowds on the streets and in the shops, from a distance, like a single entity black mass appear
- Black Friday is considered The highest-grossing day of the year , giving retailers the chance to get out of the red and thus to write black numbers instead of red numbers
Black Friday should not be confused with Black Thursday, the Day of the stock market crash in New York in October 1929.
Due to the Time difference in Europe In this country, the day of the crash fell on a Friday, the so-called "Black Friday" - while in the USA, Black Thursday, i.e. Black Thursday The discussion is about.
Thanksgiving in Canada
During Thanksgiving in the USA on fourth Thursday It is celebrated in November, and it is the Canadian Thanksgiving Day already at The second Monday in October . This is because in north located in Canada Harvest is brought in earlier than in the USA.
In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated in most places as a holiday , so Thanksgiving is one of the popular long weekends forms during the year.
In Canada, too, many different dishes on the table. Stuffed turkey, cooked ham, sweet potatoes and all sorts of desserts ensure that on Canadian Thanksgiving Day no one goes hungry.
Similar to the USA, Thanksgiving in Canada is a a huge family celebration where friends and families meet to have a wonderful time, evening together to spend. Depending on the region, Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated with various festive activities. various parades and Sporting events that accompany the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday.
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place every year Thanksgiving It takes place in New York City and is one of the most traditional holiday parades in the USA. The three-hour parade is organized by the department store Macy's and attracts visitors every year Huge crowds of spectators on. In addition, the event live on television shown and watched by millions of Americans.
The Thanksgiving parade of Macy's department store is known for its colorfully decorated floats , brass bands, as well as cheerleaders and dance groups.
The parade is famous, however, because of its A large number of balloons from old acquaintances Comic book heroes and Toy figures . Several are released every year. Giant balloons that attract everyone's attention. For example, Charlie Brown , Spider-Man, Olaf from Frozen, Hello Kitty, Sonic the Hedgehog, Snoopy , Mickey Mouse , Scooby-Doo and Shrek in recent years as Giant balloon They were made and made a splash at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. sparkling eyes – and not just among children.
