The first American Thanksgiving may be on an unremembered date, but its popularity today says all the story of its importance to the Americans. The Americans believe that the first thanksgiving took place somewhere around 1621 during the autumn season at Playmouth Plantation, Massachusetts. The year 1620 stood witness to a group of separatist from the church of England, who were on their way to Virginia but instead halted at Playmouth. Had it not been for the Wampanaog, the natives of Playmouth, these separatist would have had a tough time surviving the terrible winters in the year 1620. This brought together the people from both the places and they they together celebrated the harvest festival, the following year. This togetherness was celebrated for three days. This celebration in the year 1621 was not initially seen as a Thanksgiving feast, but after 1623, Thanksgiving has become a thing of paramount importance to all Americans. Thereafter people have always remembered the feast of 1621 as the first Thanksgiving.



Thanksgiving for the Americans may have started in 1623 but the tradition of thanking God for the year's harvest, during the month of autumn was never a new one. There was the existence of this tradition for a long time in Europe and people merrily danced and sang with bonfires around. It was not just the joy of a harvest but also the awaiting of a winter soon to come. As for the people of ancient Greece, nine days of the autumn season is dedicated to the Demeter, the goddess of agriculture.

Thanksgiving is definitely a very important and attractive occasion to the Americans but the main attraction of this day is the thanksgiving turkey. A very famous event called the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation takes place every year at the White house where the President of America is presented with a turkey by the turkey industry. As per the tradition the President gives a ?presidential pardon? to the turkey and it happily goes to a separate farm to live the rest of its life. This tradition of gifting turkey to presidents dates back to the year 1947 when the first National Thanksgiving Turkey was given to President Harry Trueman.

There is also the tradition of a thanksgiving toast where there is the raising of a toast before every thanksgiving as a sign of respect and thanks for the year that passed and also thanking everyone present and regretting for the ones who could not be a part of the party.

Thanksgiving day for the Americans, was a complete religious affair in the beginning but this has undergone a sea change over the years. From a simple feast, the day is now observed as a national holiday. Thanksgiving is usually celebrated by the Americans on the fourth Thursday of November. To the Americans this day is predominant for a different reason too. This is also the time when friends and family members get together, celebrating the joy in the air and relaxing and spending quality time with their near and dear ones. A time to forgive and a time to ask for forgiveness. And finally to dine over pumpkin pie's, cranberry sauce, corn and mashed potatoes. This is also the time to thank God for all that he has given. Moreover this is one of the longest holiday that the students get to enjoy, besides the easter holidays and they never give it a miss. American football is a major part of the thanksgiving celebrations. Mention may also be made of the Macy's parade, held on this day in Midtown, Manhattan. The parade has participants from high schools, dancing and singing to the tunes of joyous music, with colorful balloons flying high. People try their utmost to attend this parade, but the ones that do not get the chance, enjoy it over the television. In the Northeastern United States, the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest nights of the year for bars and pubs, as this is the time when the students come back home after a long time after their tiring college semesters.

Thanksgiving is the perfect occasion to thank God for all that he has showered on us and also to thanks all others who have made a big difference in our lives.