Thanksgiving Day | Meaning, History, & Facts | Britannica

Thanksgiving Day: Meaning, History, and Facts

Thanksgiving Day is an annual national holiday in the United States and Canada that celebrates the harvest and blessings of the past year.

Origins and Historical Background

In the United States, Americans commonly believe Thanksgiving is based on the 1621 harvest feast shared by the Pilgrims of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people. Early colonists in New England and Canada regularly held "thanksgivings," which were days of prayer for blessings such as safe journeys, military victories, or bountiful harvests.

Canadians trace their earliest thanksgiving to 1578, when an expedition led by Martin Frobisher gave thanks for a safe voyage.

"Americans model their holiday on a 1621 harvest feast shared between the Wampanoag people and the English colonists known as Pilgrims."

Modern Observance

In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, set by a congressional resolution in 1941 and a proclamation by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Since 1957, Canadians have observed Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October.

Traditions

Both countries celebrate with gatherings of family and friends centered around a meal.

Summary

Thanksgiving Day unites Americans and Canadians through historic gratitude celebrations, rooted in early harvest feasts and evolving into important annual family traditions.

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Britannica Britannica — 2025-11-03

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