Why do Americans celebrate Thanksgiving?

Americans have been celebrating Thanksgiving since time immemorial. It is said that the first ever Thanksgiving was marked in 1598 in the Texas city of El Paso but most people believe that the event is held to remember the Pilgrim's harvest celebration in Plymouth, Massachusetts 391 years ago. Thanksgiving was not considered a national holiday until first US President George Washington proclaimed it in 1789.

The main reason why Americans hold Thanksgiving Day is to express their gratitude for everything they have. This is the time of the year when they can celebrate with their friends and family. Usually, Thanksgiving is marked with a feast consisting of turkey, vegetables, pumpkin pie, potatoes, and others. Parades are also held across the country, while special events are rolled out. Businesses, schools and other establishments are often closed during Thanksgiving so as to allow employees and students to share the day with people close to them. Many establishments and government agencies even give a four-day holiday to their staff during this time.

Traffic is heavy during Thanksgiving and everyone expects the streets to be very busy. Air travel in and out of the states and the entire country is also packed, with passengers wishing to go home for the holiday. This is how big of a deal Thanksgiving is to Americans. It is like the Christmas season wherein families and friends are supposed to be together celebrating and having fun.

Reply to this article

Read more: Holiday, Thanksgiving, Holiday Tips, Gratitutude, Pumpkin, Holiday

« Inexpensive Gift-Giving for the Holidays | Main | Dealing with Difficult Relatives during the Holidays »

Return to Articles List

Our objective is to share with you news and information about Haiti and the people of Haiti. Traditions, habits and the way we were  or  grew are alive in this site. We highly recommend that you Subscribe to our Newsletter and also share with us some of the things that are memorable and made us unique people.