When is Thanksgiving and what does it  mean?
931501
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day is an annual one-day holiday to give thanks (traditionally to God) at the close of the harvest season. In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. In Canada, it is celebrated on the second Monday in October. In the United Kingdom, Thanksgiving is another name for the Harvest festival, held in churches across the land on a relevant Sunday to mark the end of the local harvest. This tradition was taken to North America by early settlers.
844386
Its not set every year. its the third thursday of november. this year, its November 23.
781698
In my family, if your late getting to the house, you are stuck doing clean up during the games! For many years, the Packers played the Lions on Thanksgiving. I'm from Wisconsin, so this was a very big deal seeing as how the whole family are Packer Fans.\nWe give thanks and talk of the things we are grateful for. \nWhen I was very young (5-6) my brother who is much older, explained to me that watching the little guy run over the big guy is what life is about. Meaning, that if you put your mind to it, be grateful and thankful for what GOD has given you, you can do anything no matter how small you are.\nThanksgiving is a message, not a meal. I see that message every time I watch a football game, even when my Packers are losing.\nHappy Thanksgiving!
885267
there are two thanksgivings in the americas.  canada celebrates theirs in october & we, in the usa celebrate ours on the third thursday of each november.  the friday following thanksgiving is almost as famous, known as 'black friday'.  it's the shopping day of the year but that's another story.  the origin of thanksgiving goes back to the very early 1600s when the english colonists came to america with the barest of necessities and had to make it through a very harsh, cold winter.  if it wasn't for the help of the native americans, the narragansett (i believe), the settlers would've died. the natives  supplied the yams, wild turkeys, corn & showed to the settlers not only the native foods to eat but how to prepare them.  a giant feast was held with native americans & colonists in attendance.  it was a splendid  beginning but alas, not to last.  sad to say but within 20 years, both sides were at war.  the colonists came to america with the idea of land ownership & the natives couldn't understand that.  land, to them, was something to share.  anyway, you asked & that's the real story.  i personally feel of all the american holidays, thanksgiving is the greatest.  it still signifies sharing, friends, food & giving.  nothing is really asked of you except to come to the table & give of yourself without asking for anything back. neat, eh?
915332
Although there is record of earlier thanksgiving celebrations (most notably in 1619 at Berkeley Plantation, Virginia), Americans trace their traditional Thanksgiving holiday to one celebrated in 1621. This celebration was held at the Plymouth Colony, now in the state of Massachusetts. The English Pilgrims who had founded the colony marked the occasion by feasting with Native American guests—members of the Wampanoag tribe—who brought gifts of food as a gesture of goodwill. Although this event was an important part of American colonial history, there is no evidence that any of the participants thought of the feast as a thanksgiving celebration. Two years later, during a period of drought, a day of fasting and prayer was changed to one of thanksgiving because rains came during the prayers. Gradually the custom prevailed among New Englanders to annually celebrate Thanksgiving after the harvest.\n\nColonial governments and, later, state governments took up the Puritan custom of designating thanksgiving days to commemorate various public events. Gradually the tradition of holding annual thanksgiving holidays spread throughout New England and into other states. During the American Revolution (1775-1783) the Continental Congress proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving following the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777. U.S. president George Washington proclaimed another day of thanksgiving in 1789 in honor of the ratification of the Constitution of the United States. In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom, and many other states soon did the same. Most of the state celebrations were held in November, but not always on the same day.\n\nIn the mid-19th century Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Godey’s Ladies Book, led a movement to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. In 1863, during the American Civil War (1861-1865), President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November to be Thanksgiving Day in order to bolster the Union’s morale. After the war, Congress established Thanksgiving as a national holiday, but widespread national observance caught on only gradually. Many Southerners saw the new holiday as an attempt to impose Northern customs on them. However, in the late 19th century Thanksgiving’s emphasis on home and family appealed to many people throughout the United States. As a distinctly American holiday, Thanksgiving was also considered an introduction to American values for the millions of immigrants then entering the country.
838201
What's wrong with you? Thanksgiving is a commemoration of the first successful harvest of the Mayflower Pilgrims in New England. If you knew anything at all, you would know that they travelled to the New World to escape religious intolerance in England. But still you ask how we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the UK. The USA and UK may have the same language, but that does not mean that they will necessarily have the same traditions.\n\nThe nearest thing we have to the USA's Thanksgiving is Harvest Festival celebrated in churches, and usually in September. See this website for more details: http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Harvest.html\n\nHalloween was hardly celebrated in the UK before the 1980s. There were some kids' parties, with children dressed as witches, and apple bobbing. Swedes (Swedish turnips) were used for making lantern faces illuminated by a candle. Some older kids would remove garden gates from their hinges, and hide them - all trick and no treat. And that was about it.\n\nThe reason for that is that the UK has a more established celebration on November 5th - Guy Fawkes Night (aka Bonfire Night or Fireworks Night). See this website for further information: http://www.bonefire.org/guy/ . Furthermore children used to collect money in the street - see the "Penny for the guy" tradition as outlined in this webpage:  http://homepages.tesco.net/~derek.berger/holidays/guyfawkes.html\n\nHowever things changed in the 1980s following the release of the films E.T. and Halloween. As a result of the 1982 film, E.T., (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083866/) more children began dressing up in spooky costumes and knocking on doors for sweets. A consequence of the 1978 film, Halloween (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077651/), was that a public demand for pumpkins was created, and they are now used for making lantern faces. Adults also have costumed Halloween parties. Nowadays Halloween here is no different from the USA.\n\nI hope this answers your query.
738720
Thanksgiving for me is a 2-3 day marathon of cooking and baking for my friends and family(my door is open to everyone on Thanksgiving ,I tell every one to bring their Appite) It is a time for rembering those long ago Thanksgivings when me and my father would kick Mom out of the kitchen and cook up a feast, just the two of us.....now that he has passed on I carry on our tradition by making Feast for all who come to my door\nIt's a time of rembering with great fondness my grandfather who loved this time of year, with all the leaves showing their color...it's a reminder to take an extra moment to be Thankful (and be aware) of the beauty of Nature around us.\nIt's a time to enjoy and re-connect /catch up with  with family and friends, some who we haven't seen in a while.\n....and the left overs Wow...sometimes I have a lot!...I make up dinner plates and freeze some of them for quick microwave dinners  and I give some  to neighbors (or co-workers) who may not have anyone... and were too shy to come over to my house.....and of course all who come get something to take home even if it's only a pie or some baked goods.
31974
Thanksgiving Day is my favorite.  It's a time when family and friends gather in one place for a great meal and conversation.....later to lie back and watch a tv game - football, basketball or hockey are good.\n\nThere is no stress of buying gifts or even of decorating.  It's all about fellowship.
100587
Day after thanksgiving...
980585
What does being a "person of color" have to do with celebrating or not celebrating this holiday?  The offical celebration of Thanksgiving was not established until the time of President Lincoln.  It is a national holiday when people can take time out before the real hussle and bussle of the Christmas season to get together with family and friends and set a little special time aside to give thanks to whatever Diety they believe in.  There is no harm in having a special day of thanks.  Certainly, you should be grateful for the things of this world constantly, but there is no reason why you can't have a special day.  I agree that many things happened in the past that we of European descent have no cause to be proud of...however, I am, as a 21st century American, grateful for the fact that I live in this country and not another.  I am grateful for a government that sets aside a special day for thanks and that allows me the right to thank whatever Diety I wish in whatever way I wish.  No matter your ethnic/racial origins, you should be thankful for the way things are NOW and not dwell on the past.  A Mandan chief once said  something along the lines of not dwelling on things that cannot be changed (things in the past) and living toward changing those things that can (the future).  So, have a happy day of thanks.
824906
When the Pilgrims came over from England they were greeted by American Indians who shared a great feast with them. We celebrate this feast every year the 4th Thursday in November. It is just a special time with friends and relatives-with too much food but much joy. No presents are exchanged, just love!
752258
Where are you from?  Thanksgiving is the 3rd thursday of November.\nChristmas is December 25th.  Yes, all USA celebrates it, don't know about all Americans.
914844
I, my husband and  kids visit my parents home on Thanksgiving Day.  We also, visit his parents on Thanksgiving Day. We make it a priority to be with our loved ones at this time of year because we don't always see each other throughout the year as we live in different towns and have jobs, etc.  So, we catch up on Thanksgiving Day.  We reminisce of days gone by. There is always good food and memories to last until we meet again.  Happy Thanksgiving.
869380
I celebrate thanksgiving to \n1. Spend time with my family\n2. To look back at my life and realize how lucky I am to be able to have a feast every year while some people are scrounging for food.\n3. To give thanks for what I have and to pray that, at least that one day, The people who aren't as lucky find some hapiness
511513
In Canada Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October. Unlike the American tradition of remembering Pilgrims and settling in the New World, Canadians give thanks for a successful harvest. The harvest season falls earlier in Canada compared to the United States due to the simple fact that Canada is further north.
711988
Maybe they call it Thankgiving ......\n:))\n\nHappy Thanksgiving.\n\n:)
804097
people whom you love like your family and friends\n\nHAPPY THANKSGIVING