By Sarah Melchert
There are several Thanksgiving traditions that people celebrate, and some traditions have long histories behind them.
According to the United States National Archives, George Washington claimed Thursday Nov. 26 as the day of public Thanksgiving. This was the first time th
at Thanksgiving was celebrated under the Constitution. Then in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared that Thanksgiving would be celebrated every year on the last Thursday of Nov.
According to the National Archives, in 1939 the last Thursday of November fell on the last day of the month, so President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving to the second to last Thursday. This would allow enough time for the Christmas shopping season. However, everyone did not celebrate it on the second to last Thursday. Some were celebrating Thanksgiving a week early. Eventually in 1941 the fourth Thursday of November was declared the Federal Thanksgiving Day Holiday.
Some may think that a Thanksgiving menu consists of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.
However, the first
Thanksgiving meal was different then one may expect.
According to the Smithonian magazine website, the first Thanksgiving meal included wild turkeys and different waterfowl, because it was availible in that region. The birds were stuffed not with bread based stuffing, but with onions and herbs. Shellfish, like oysters were also eaten. Different vegetables that were grown were also consumed.
Another Thanksgiving tradition some may celebrate is playing a game of football, or watching a football game. According to the National Football League, or NFL, the coach of the Detriot Lions arranged a football game
with the Chicago Bears in 1934. The Lions lost, but the game gained publicity and became a tradition. Other teams like the Dallas Cowboys started to play on Thanksgiving too.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is another traditional t
program some watch. According to Macy’s website, the parade began in 1924. The first parade was started by employees and featured animals from the Central Park Zoo. In 1947 the parade was televised nationally. Today, about 50 million people watch the parade on TV.
Some Thanksgiving traditions have long histories, and may have changed over time. For some, they make the holiday and time off from school more enjoyable.
