As a Brit I don't really know a great deal about Thanksgiving. So what does it mean to you, and how will you celebrate on the day itself?

[CubaPirate]

[Lliam]

The first Thanksgiving celebration is believed to have occurred in 1621. The story, as told from the pilgrim's perspective, is that Plymouth colonists from England shared a meal with the indigenous Wampanoag people to give thanks for a successful fall harvest.

On June 28, 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law the Holidays Act that made Thanksgiving a yearly appointed federal holiday in Washington, D. C.

The story most people heard about Thanksgiving from a young age is pretty simple: A group of Pilgrims, fleeing religious persecution, sail to North American and settle on Plymouth Rock. After a hard winter, they celebrate a successful harvest with their new neighbors, Native Americans. Everybody's grateful; the end.

There were annual elementary school plays with children dressed as Pilgrims, Indians and, of course, turkeys.

Families gather on Thanksgiving for a feast. The traditional fare is turkey and Fall harvest foods. It's basically a harvest festival. Turkey, maze, potatoes, green beans (snap peas), squash, cranberries, pecans, pumpkin and other foods that originated in the Americas are typically featured.

America is a land of immigrants, however, so different cultures celebrate Thanksgiving with their own traditional holiday foods.

Although it's not a religious holiday, many people offer thanks to God for the bounty, for family and friends, and for the things they are grateful for.

Some people have become aware of the actual history in recent decades.
It was the Wampanoag in 1621 who helped the first Puritans plant crops, forage and survive. However, the first official mention of a “Thanksgiving” celebration occurred in 1637, after the massacre of an entire Pequot village.

Since 1970, Indigenous people and allies have gathered in Plymouth to commemorate a National Day of Mourning on the U. S. Thanksgiving holiday to remember the genocide, the dispossession from lands and the erasure of cultures. It is a day of remembrance and protest against the racism and oppression Indigenous people continue to experience worldwide.

“Native people have been in the Americas for thousands of years prior to the arrival of Europeans,” said Kristin Arola, interim director of American Indian and Indigenous Studies and Karen L. Gillmore Endowed Associate Professor of Professional and Public Writing in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric and American Cultures, College of Arts & Letters.

“Having history start with a peaceful hand-off of America is a sanitized story about Indigenous people conceding to colonialism,” said Arola, who is a first-generation descendent of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.

It wasn’t until industrialization in the 20th century that Thanksgiving was used to promote the assimilation of millions of U. S. immigrants. The myth of the First Thanksgiving meal – the harvest celebration of 1621 – has been taught in American schools for over 150 years. But that is changing.

Efforts are being made to teach children a more accurate version of history that does not present Native Americans as caricatures of naive, ignorant savages and Pilgrims as generous benefactors.

But there is understandable, nostalgia-based, resistance to change. Zipporah Smith, a third-grade teacher in Des Moines, says some colleagues have been reluctant to update Thanksgiving lessons because they have “such fond memories of the Thanksgiving activities they did in school.”

Regardless of the history and politics, however, Thanksgiving is an American tradition that celebrates bountiful harvest and gratitude. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (a tradition since 1924), football games, and feasting make it a joyful holiday.

For some, it can also be a day to reflect on the past - fond memories, loved ones who have passed, and grievous injustices that were committed against the natives of this land. We may also think about those less fortunate men, women, children and families who are in need.

[CubaPirate]

Thanks so much for your in depth response 👍 😀 😊

[Lliam]

My pleasure, CubaPirate. It was a good question.

[AviatorTom]

Thanksgiving is a holiday to have as many of your family and friends together for a nice meal. It normally involves a huge meal in the middle of the day, with a lot of discussion and talk. It's one of the few times that we get to learn what our family and friends are doing, especially those that live far away.

Then, after the big meal, the men usually head to the family room and watch American football on TV, while the women usually head to the kitchen for cleanup, saving leftovers, and sharing stories.

[mandyfire98]

It's supposed to be a day in which you show appreciation for the things and people you have in your life. Things you're thankful for. It's celebrated with a gathering of family and friends and a huge spread of food.

[Anonymous]

i'm American, but it literally means nothing to me. i guess people use it as an excuse to overeat.

[Andres77]

It doesn’t have to mean anything more complicated then having a day set aside, dedicated to being grateful for everything you have in your life.

[gorydetails]

It’s a day to give thanks for all your blessings during the year. It’s a time to be with friends and family without pressure of gifts (like Christmas). Plus for those of us who are good cooks, it’s our superbowl.

[Iron_Man]

The Indians and the pilgrims made peace, and they got together and celebrated an awesome Thanksgiving

[Pterodon]

What @Andres77 said is true but it’s also more humorous than that. It’s the one day in America when everyone eats the same thing

[Andres77]

Fair enough…😉

[Dnice1]

I celebrate with eating good food and spending time with family

[tfan1]

Being with family and enjoying a wonderful meal together. 👍🙂

[dolemite58]

it’s essentially just a day to watch football and have a meal with family you don’t like very much. 😂

[OldBlue]

Family and food, but mostly, food.

[NathanDavis]

family (=