Fourth Thursday of November is a
Thanksgiving Day in USA. It is different in different countries. In USA this the most eagerly awaited event. I may not call it as a
festival, but is certainly an annual event. Thanksgiving is important in an
individualistic society like USA where family and friends can meet and party on
this day or on following days. This is the longest weekend in the US starting
almost from Wednesday afternoon through Sunday midnight. Children meet their
parents on this day and gifts are exchanged. The holiday season starts with
this.
Thanksgiving was traditionally celebrated
in England for thanksgiving prayers after the harvesting. It is known as Loaf mass. Farmers make a bread from freshly harvested wheat and that would be handed over to the local church. Thanksgiving is very much similar
to Holi and Diwali in India which are also post harvesting festivals that are social and religious. In
Christianity there were ninety-five holidays and fifty-two Sundays on which one was
expected to offer the prayers in the church. Following reforms the numbers of
holidays were reduced to twenty-seven. There cannot be any reduction in Sundays,
in certain years these could be even fifty-three, so these were left untouched.
Original migrants to America started celebrating this day during same period as that of
England, even though in New England the harvesting is over much earlier than it is in England. No adjustment in dates was ever made, unlike other countries. This reminds me of Australians
celebrating X-mas in summer, knowing well that Santa cannot come on a sledge in
their country in that season.
Thanksgiving has assumed different dimensions and great
importance in America. England doesn't have that kind of celebrations as America has. Some researchers also put forward another theory. It
states that the first batch of migrants was fighting with sickness and shortage
of food when they landed in America. The seeds and food that they had brought
with them was either of no use in this new-found land or had got spoiled, except
for barley. The natives taught the migrants to fish, to hunt and to cultivate.
The migrants in honour of the natives celebrated Thanksgiving Day.
Wild Turkey |
Turkey farm |
Average American consumes about seven kg of turkey per annum. Turkey is relatively cheap, being priced around USD 2.50 per kg. Like the broiler farms there are domesticated turkey farms in US. The wild turkey hunting has restrictions from 1991 as these were declining.
There is a tradition to present a turkey to American President for Thanksgiving Day Dinner. However as per one legend Abraham Lincoln’s son Ted requested his father to release the turkey, meant for the President’s Christmas dinner, back in the natural habitat as the turkey also has a right to live. President gave a presidential pardon to the turkey and was thus released. So when did the Presidential pardon for the turkey for Thanksgiving Day dinner start? It is reported to have started with President Truman, who released the bird in 1948 in his home state. JFK sent back the turkey to the farm from where it came. President Eisenhower and President Johnson actually ate the turkeys that were presented to them. Officially the Presidential pardon started with President Bush (senior) in Nov 1989. What an irony of fate, on one side millions of turkeys get slaughtered for Thanksgiving Day and on the other hand on the same day a lucky one is released to live the remaining life (about ten years) without fear of being slaughtered.
Presidential pardon by President Bush (Senior) |
Customers lined up outside retail outlet |
Back to Thanksgiving Day, it’s a
great holiday to enjoy meeting relatives and friends, exchanging greetings,
even if you don’t shop, which is relatively a low possibility. With so much of
promotion going on, one always lands up buying something whether needed or
otherwise. Whatever may be the event, be it Halloween or Thanksgiving Day or Christmas,
the marketing companies will never miss out an opportunity to earn an extra
buck, no complaints. After all it’s a mainstay for the economic growth. Happy Holidays
and enjoy.
Source: Wikipedia for the pictures, published non-copyright material
Source: Wikipedia for the pictures, published non-copyright material
Also read www.cookfictions.blogspot.com