Thanksgiving 2024: When is Thanksgiving? Date, history, significance, celebration theme

Thanksgiving is an annual American holiday that falls between Halloween and Christmas, on the fourth Thursday of November and is celebrated to express gratitude and cherish loved ones. This year, the Thanksgiving Day falls on November 28, 2024. 

The holiday is celebrated with turkey feasts, football games, and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, bringing together families and communities while honouring the traditions.

Thanksgiving 2024: History and significance

This year marks the 403rd anniversary of the first Thanksgiving observed in the United States. On the traditional holiday, farmers thanked God for their autumn harvest.

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The holiday was first marked in 1621 at Plymouth, Massachusetts when the people of Wampanoag and the Plymouth colonists celebrated a great harvest feast involving a three-day festival that merged English and Native American traditions. However, Thanksgiving only became a national holiday in 1863.

As per the White House, the festival was celebrated under the new constitution first time by President George Washington in 1789. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday.

While Americans celebrate the festival with enthusiasm, Native Americans and Alaska Natives believe Thanksgiving veils past oppression and violence.

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How is Thanksgiving celebrated?

On the day of Thanksgiving people come together with their families and friends to share a festive meal, play games, and express their gratitude. Some people also celebrate Friendsgiving, which is popular among those who live away from their families and share the feast with their friends.

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Thanksgiving is synonymous with delicious, traditional dishes like roasted turkey, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and stuffing. People also watch the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.

(With inputs from agencies)