Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving)

Thanksgiving (or Thanksgiving to the French-speaking Canada) is a Fête celebrated with the the United States the fourth Thursday of November and in Canada the second Monday of October. This day, one thanks God by Prière S and rejoicings for happinesses which one could receive during the year.

History

Several versions were evoked on the origin of this American festival and, in particular, of first celebration. If it is difficult, because of the little of sources available, to have the certainty of it, a fact remains little disputed: the origin is different in the United States and Canada. The very first “ Thanksgiving ” were harvest festivals or occasions to thank God for heavy crops. For this reason, “ Thanksgiving ” always place at the end of the Automne has, after the re-entry of harvests.

Origin with the the United States

In 1620, a hundred pilgrim S Puritan British, pursued, fled towards the Holland. In July, they joined Southampton first of all then Plymouth where they embarked on board the Mayflower on September 6th, bound for the Virginia. After having accosted with Cape Cod in November then explored the area, the 102 colonist S installed their colony a little more in North and founded the town of Plymouth (Massachusetts) in December 1620. Because of their little of agricultural knowledge and one particularly rigorous winter, half of them did not survive. Next spring, an Indian Wampanoag of the name of Squanto came into contact with the immigrants and, with its tribe, food offered to them and learned how to them to fish, drive out and cultivate corn. To celebrate the first harvest, with the following autumn, the Gouverneur William Bradford issued three days of Prière and festival. The colonists invited the chief Massasoit and 90 Indians to share their meal, as a thanks to seal a durable friendship and a commercial pact. Turkey S savages and pigeons were been used for this occasion.

Two years later, the colony celebrated again the end of the Récolte S, but returning especially thanks to God. This festival very quickly became simply religious, and any reference to the Amerindian S was quickly forgotten, the more so as after the death of the Massasoit chief who guaranteed peace, Wampanoag were finally exterminated in 1676.

The habit of “ Thanksgiving ” spread itself of Plymouth to other colonies of the New England and during the war of independence, eight feastdays were devoted to thank God for the victories and survival for the survivors. In 1789, the president George Washington proclaimed the November 26th national feastday. The same year, the episcopal church Protestant announced that last Thursday of November would be one feastday.

During many years, there did not exist “ Thanksgiving ” national. Some states only founded one day special. In 1830, the State of New York founded one day of “ Thanksgiving ” and other states of north followed soon the example. The Virginia was the first State of the south which adopted the habit.

In 1855, Sarah Josepha Hauls, editor of “Godey' S Lady' S Book”, worked during several years to promote the idea of a “ Thanksgiving ” national. Then, in 1863, the president Lincoln declared that last Thursday of November would be one day of thanks and praises with God.

Each year during 75 years, the president of the United States issued that “ Thanksgiving ” should be celebrated last Thursday of November. However, in 1939, the president Roosevelt advanced it one week. He wanted to thus help the trade by lengthening the period of purchases before Christmas. The Congrès issued in 1941 that “ Thanksgiving ” fourth Thursday of November would be celebrated like one bank holiday legal. The festival of “ Thanksgiving ” one of is been unemployed of the United States. In the trade, the shortly after Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the period of the purchases of Christmas and one names it black Friday because he is often regarded as the day of greater marketing activity of the year.

Origin in Canada

The origins of the Action of Thanks to Canada go up with the English explorer Martin Frobisher, which tried to find a passage Scandinavian towards the East. In 1578, it holds a formal ceremony, on the current territory of the province of Ground-New-and-Labrador, in order to return grace to have survived the long voyage. One regards this ceremony as the first Canadian Thanksgiving, and the first to have taken place in North America. Frobisher is subsequently made knight and its name was given to the Baie of Frobisher.

At the same time, the French colonists, having crossed the Atlantic Ocean and being installed in Canada with the explorer Samuel de Champlain, also organize great festivals to return thanks to God. They even form “ the Order of Good Temps ” and share readily their food with their neighbors autochtones.

With the end of the Seven Year old War in 1763 with the transfer of the News-France in Great Britain, the citizens of Halifax hold one day special of thanksgiving.

After the American Revolution, the American refugees who were remained honest (the Loyaliste S) in the United Kingdom are exiled of the United States and settle in Canada. They bring with them the habits and traditions of the American Thanksgiving , although, as a liturgical festival, the Action of Thanks to Canada also corresponds to the European harvest festival; the churches are decorated with corn, pumpkin, horns of plenty, corn and other products of harvest, anthems of harvest are sung Sunday of the Thanksgiving and the sermons are drawn from the Biblical stories relating to the Jewish harvest festival (the Souccot).

The first Action of Thanks to Canada after the Canadian Confédération is a civil leave which takes place the April 5th 1872 to celebrate the re-establishment of the Prince de Galles (subsequently King Edouard VII) after a grave disease. Before this date, days of thanksgiving are observed starting in 1799 but do not take place at each year.

As from 1879, the day of the Thanksgiving returns every year but is proclaimed annually, the date being able to change from one year to another. The topic of the festival also changes year by year in order to reflect an significant event. In the first years, it was for an abundant harvest and occasionally for a particularly important birthday. After the First World War, the Day of the armistice and the Thanksgiving is both celebrated Monday of the week of November 11th. Ten years later, in 1931, the two days become distinct festivals, and the Day of the Armistice becomes the Jour of the memory.

The January 31st 1957, the Parlement of Canada fixes the date at second Monday of October in a permanent way by a proclamation: “ One day to return thanks to God the Almighty of the benefits whose the people enjoy Canada… ”

Demonstrations Amerindian S

If, since the time of the evangelic pilgrim S , “ Thanksgiving ” is for the Americans a manner of thanking God for providential quality of the Nouveau World and of a good agreement with the indigenous populations, for some groups Amerindian S, this day represents the destruction of their continent and the starting point of the Indian Guerres. In 1676, the governor of Charleston, the Massachussets, benefitted even from this day to celebrate a victory over the Amerindian S. Since the Années 1970, of the demonstrations are organized in memory of the native Indians.

The meal of Thanksgiving

The meal of “ Thanksgiving ” is traditionally composed of a Dinde, animal just discovered by the first Européens in the Nouveau World.

With the United States, “ Thanksgiving ” is celebrated in family around important diners and merry meetings. The name of “ Thanksgiving ” evokes odorous kitchens and large food cupboards full with good things, but it is also a religious holiday with masses and prayers.

The day before Thanksgiving, associations distribute meals to the people without fixed residence in the big cities.

Finely-type of Thanksgiving

Soup with pumpkin,
Tart with the Nut of pécan S,
Turkey stuffed, frozen of Cranberry S (known as cranberry in French Canada),
Mashed potatoes of sweet potatoes,
Tart with the pumpkin ( pumpkin black and white ).
Tart with the sweet potatoes
Sauce with the cranberries
Joke (sometimes with chestnuts, oysters, sausages, apples, etc)
cider
bread of corn
Apple tart
French bean in stew
corn out of ears
Vodka
rolls

References

Random links: