Thanksgiving in the fall elicits nostalgic notions of Pilgrims and Native Americans peacefully sharing a meal to give thanks for a bountiful harvest and each other. But why do modern Americans, and increasingly people all over the globe, continue to commemorate a holiday rooted in a semi-mythologized harvest feast held by colonists 400 years ago?
Understanding the evolution of the Thanksgiving tradition sheds light on why we carry on celebrating today with massive parades, family feasts, and expressions of gratitude despite increasing secularization and the holiday’s intrinsically spiritual focus.
Origins of Modern Thanksgiving
Ancient Harvest Festivals
Almost every civilization holds—or held—harvest festivals to offer gratitude for agricultural bounty and coming together. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, and more all shared somewhat similar celebrations typically in the fall when most Northern Hemisphere crops were finally reaped.
Pilgrims held the First Thanksgiving in 1621
But when we envision the quintessential first Thanksgiving as the backbone of our modern holiday, we look back to 1621, when the Plymouth Pilgrims and members of the Wampanoag tribe shared a 3-day autumn harvest celebration.
Key details on the 1621 celebration include:
- Lasted from late September to early November
- Included about 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag tribespeople
- Featured bounty like wildfowl, corn, and venison
- Games, prayer, dancing, community among natives and newcomers
This 1621 harvest meal is not considered the “first Thanksgiving” by historians but ignited our collective modern ideal of what became today’s beloved tradition.
Why We Still Revere the Pilgrim Meal as Inspiration
There were earlier North American harvest feasts pre-Plymouth, along with periodic informal years of rejoicing, but key reasons the 1621 Pilgrim celebration gained primacy as inspiration for persisting thanks and community through centuries include:
- Occurred as the fledgling English colony finally enjoyed prosperity after suffering tremendous losses earlier
- Displayed burgeoning cooperation between colonists and natives initiating more peaceful partnership vs. prior conflicts
- Story and tradition formalized in the 1800s amid the search for national identity as waves of immigrants flooded America, wanting a unifying culture amid increasing diversity
The Plymouth Meal encapsulates cherished ideals of gratitude, abundance, fresh starts, and unity across differences we still strive to recreate today.
How Thanksgiving Became a Formal National Holiday
From the 1800s, writers and cultural leaders elevated the modest 1621 harvest celebration as the embodiment of values the newly formed America wanted to promote. Efforts to formalize holiday status succeeded when:
- 1863 – President Lincoln declares Thanksgiving a yearly national holiday in hopes of healing the nation amid Civil War strife
- 1870s – Editorials by Sarah Hale lead to a campaign reaching all governors to plan synchronized state Thanksgivings
- 1941 – Just before entering World War II, Congress and President Roosevelt finally cemented Thanksgiving officially as the fourth Thursday of November national legal holiday
So from fragmented state efforts, one extraordinary period of bounty between colonists and natives birthed over two centuries of expanding tradition to become our treasured national holiday.
Why Thanksgiving Day Traditions Evolved
But a fall feast does not entirely explain Thanksgiving’s unparalleled status as America’s most revered and unifying day. Cherished modern trappings stem from additional sources like:
Football Games
- The development of American football spiked interest in Thanksgiving athletic spectator events, starting in the 1870s at elite “Ivy League” universities. This diversion from holiday solemnity became a strategic boost for football legitimacy against baseball and continued embedding casual entertainment into the occasion.
Parades and Pop Culture
- Immigrants infused big city parades starring whimsical balloon giants inspired by pop culture figures into early 20th century Thanksgiving. Macy’s 1928 New York spectacle set the template replicated nationwide in the forms of floats, performers and balloons.
Turkey and Ham Feasting
- As the poultry and pork industries organized early 20th century, they strategically glorified turkey and ham centrepieces for Thanksgiving meals to drive reliable sales.
Retail Store Holiday Sales
- Capitalism tapped into Thanksgiving goodwill by morphing the day into the kickoff for core holiday shopping sales, especially alluring recent immigrants. Department stores like Macy’s pioneered “holiday parades” promoting gift ideas early on TG morning.
These ancillary traditions explain why Thanksgiving transformed into the quintessential American family tradition blending gratitude, bounty, entertainment, sports, commercialism, whimsy, and comfort food over two centuries into its beloved form.
Why Thanksgiving Persists Globally
Thanks giving festivities extend today across the globe, including among people lacking Pilgrim ancestral ties or religious connotations because the holiday encapsulates universal aspirations like:
- Gratitude – The world over, cultures and faiths endorse expressing thankfulness.
- Community – People instinctively crave opportunities that facilitate social gatherings, unity and human connection.
- Stability – An annual reprise holiday offers reassuring order in an otherwise chaotic world, fulfilling needs for both tradition and household comforts.
- Abundance – Associations with bountiful food amid deprivation in many regions fuel interest where meagre lifestyles contrast with Thanksgiving imagery.
Overview of Elements that Appeal Internationally
| Category | Global Interest | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Food and Cuisine | High | Turkey, signature dishes, pies, bountiful meals |
| Celebrity and Entertainment | High | Pop culture character balloons, stadium events |
| Philosophy and Ideals | Mixed | Gratitude and spiritual practices vary |
| North American Culture | Moderate | US-centric history and pilgrim folklore hold little direct relevance |
| Holiday Season Kickoff | Mixed | Gift-giving focus secondary for most |
| Family Time | Very High | Cross-cultural emphases on household connection time |
Conclusion
Thanksgiving’s essence summoning mankind’s timeless appreciation for community, bounty, second chances and unity continues striking a chord across humanity. People crave both stability with consistent traditions and also introducing modern twists reflecting their values. Thanksgiving’s innate emphasis on simplicity, flexibility, family and universal inspirations makes the holiday endlessly open to both preservation and customization across any culture. A modest three-day 1621 meal spawned North America’s most revered holiday, encapsulating the best of human yearnings across centuries and borders.
