Much like our celebration of Halloween and the bargain bonanza that is Black Friday, Thanksgiving is an American holiday and tradition that although more widely celebrated in the USA, does get marked over here in the UK too.
The tradition of Thanksgiving originated in 1621 when the Pilgrims who settled in what is now New England, showed their gratitude to the Native Americans who taught them how to farm the land and helped them survive, by inviting them to a feast of thanks.
Many of the settlers had died from starvation following crop failure before the Wampanoag tribe taught them how to grow corn, beans and squash on the land and the very first Thanksgiving feast is thought to have lasted for three days.
When is Thanksgiving 2019 in the USA?
Thanksgiving always takes places on the fourth Thursday of November annually, meaning that this year, the widely celebrated American holiday occurs on Thursday, 28 November 2019 in the USA.
The tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November dates back to 1863 when President Lincoln declared that all Americans should: ‘set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise.’
As Thanksgiving falls on Thursday 28 this year, that means that Black Friday – the day after Thanksgiving that used to officially mark the start of the American Christmas shopping period and now is a day that brands offer major discounts on their products globally to encourage shoppers to part with their cash before Christmas – falls on Friday 29 2019.
MORE: Happy Thanksgiving! What it’s all about and why they pardon a turkey
MORE: When is Black Friday 2019 in the UK and when do deals start?
source https://metro.co.uk/2019/11/21/thanksgiving-2019-usa-11192980/
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