What is Thanksgiving, when is it and how is it celebrated in the US?
OUR friends from across the pond know how to get stuck into a good holiday.
The decorations, the spread, the dressing up and the celebratory T.V. shows, Americans love to mark an occasion.
But those cheeky so-and-sos have snuck in an extra holiday that we don’t have – sandwiched between Halloween and Christmas is Thanksgiving.
Is this just another excuse for a bank holiday and a big meal? We’ve got all the details on why the holiday is so important to our friends stateside.
What is thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is a public holiday, originating as the harvest festival, it is now celebrated every year and, along with Christmas and New Year, is part of the broader “holiday season”.
The story goes that back in 1620 Pilgrims landed on American soil and settled in an area they named Plymouth just south of where Boston is today.
Unfortunately for those who'd immigrated, they settled in the beginning of what turned out to be a harsh winter, meaning rations were tight and times were hard.
When spring came the Pilgrims went out to plant and grow their own crops and were helped by a native American named Squanto.
Squanto taught them how to fish and hunt as well as showing them how to plant corn, pumpkins and squash.
With these new found skills they were able to store up enough food to be sure that they would be equipped to face the harsh winter months.
The grateful pilgrims invited the Native Americans to join them for a huge harvest feast which has since become known as Thanksgiving.
The tradition has continued for hundreds of years since and is celebrated with a lots of delicious food and wine.
The typical Thanksgiving menu would consist of roast turkey, roasted sweet potato casserole and winter vegetables all topped off with a pumpkin pie with a walnut crust.
When is it celebrated?
In America, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, so this year will be on Thursday November 24, 2016.
It is usually followed by a crazy day of bagging bargains with Black Friday following the day after.
Where is it celebrated?
Trick question- Thanksgiving as explained here is celebrated in the United States.
However there are plenty of other places where they celebrate their own thanksgiving including: Canada, Puerto Rico, Grenada and Liberia.
Although, in Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated much earlier than the United States, they have their national holiday on the second Monday of October.
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