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Thanksgiving Day
noun
- a national holiday celebrated as a day of feasting and giving thanks for divine favors or goodness, observed on the fourth Thursday of November in the U.S. and in Canada on the second Monday of October.
Thanksgiving Day
noun
- an annual day of holiday celebrated in thanksgiving to God on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States, and on the second Monday of October in Canada Often shortened toThanksgiving
Word History and Origins
Origin of Thanksgiving Day1
Example Sentences
Last fall, the People’s City Council posted videos of the Thanksgiving Day protest on the social platform X, calling it a “holiday wake up call” for Tuchin and his family.
Still, they remain true to their bestieness, which includes a Thanksgiving Day tradition of going to a movie together even though it now takes Eden three trains to reach Dawn, who is very, very pregnant.
Haddish was arrested the day after Thanksgiving after serving meals at L.A.’s Laugh Factory and performing a set at the historic comedy club on Thanksgiving Day.
In their traditional Thanksgiving Day game, that year against Chicago, Detroit team captain and fellow offensive lineman Lomas Brown delivered a speech on the field before kickoff on the public-address speaker.
Pro-Palestinian marches have disrupted recent events in New York, including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the ceremonial lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
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More About Thanksgiving Day
What does Thanksgiving Day mean?
Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada that is traditionally observed with family gatherings and large meals.
It’s commonly just called Thanksgiving. It is observed in the U.S. on the fourth Thursday of November, and in Canada on the second Monday of October.
Today, observation of Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. is traditionally centered around a large meal, especially one that includes a roast turkey. Other traditional Thanksgiving dishes include mashed potatoes, stuffing or dressing, and pumpkin pie. The association with eating turkey has led to the informal nickname Turkey Day.
The word thanksgiving means the act of expressing or feeling thankfulness. In other words, it’s the act of giving thanks for what you’re grateful for.
Example: My family has a tradition of going on a leisurely hike on Thanksgiving Day to spend some time outdoors before the big meal.
Where does Thanksgiving Day come from?
The first records of the term Thanksgiving Day come from around the 1670s. The word Thanksgiving has been used as the name of a holiday since earlier in the 1600s. The word Day is used in the same way in the names of other holidays, such as Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
The history of Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. is often traced back to the 1621 harvest meal that is believed to have been attended by Pilgrim colonists in Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, and members of the Wampanoag Tribe of Native Americans. While historians do believe that the two groups were in fact present together at that time, many of the details surrounding their relations and the nature of the meeting have been mythologized. There is certainly no evidence that the event was seen as the start of a holiday tradition at the time.
The first official national Thanksgiving holiday was set by President George Washington in 1789, but it was a one-time event. It wasn’t until 1863 that Thanksgiving Day was officially declared as an annual national holiday by President Abraham Lincoln. But the holiday was not connected to the history of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag until later. The holiday remained on the fourth Thursday of November until 1939, when it was moved to the third Thursday of November. It went back to being on the fourth Thursday in 1942.
Thanksgiving became an annual national holiday in Canada in 1879 and was set as the second Monday in October in 1957. Earlier celebrations of Thanksgiving in Canada were inspired by the U.S. holiday.
Did you know ... ?
What are some synonyms for Thanksgiving Day?
- Thanksgiving
- Turkey Day (informal)
What are some words that share a root or word element with Thanksgiving Day?
What are some words that often get used in discussing thanksgiving?
How is Thanksgiving Day used in real life?
Thanksgiving Day is associated with family gatherings centered around a large meal. Other Thanksgiving traditions in the U.S. include parades, football, and arguments between extended family members.
6 #Thanksgiving Myths and the #Wampanoag Side of the Story
Did you know: "The Thanksgiving Day Celebration Originated From a Massacre?"https://t.co/Z8kZvwnm2e
Article in @IndianCountry by @VinceSchilling pic.twitter.com/VfEDO1WKdW
— Vincent Schilling (@VinceSchilling) November 14, 2017
Thankful today for so much. The sordid & complicated history of the thanksgiving day holiday gives cause for pause. Thankful we can do better moving forward. #ThanksgivingDay #IndigenousPeoplesDay https://t.co/0gSLj7WhNY
— Troy Goodman (@TroyKGoodman) October 12, 2020
Happy thanksgiving y’all! ❤️
What are some of your favorite thanksgiving day traditions?My favorite is every year I go over to my grandmas early and set the table for our family dinner!
Normally we have about 10-12 guests but this year we’re a few happy 5 😄 pic.twitter.com/hAxDId9hhz
— RedSiren | Lady Jenna of Glencoe (@RedSirenLive) November 28, 2019
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