Computing Corner

Every forth Thursday in November America will celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. This day signals the end of the harvest season, and is a day where reflection is given to express gratitude for all of the things the season rewarded.

Traditionally, Thanksgiving day was celebrated as a harvest festival. Communities would feast and share the fruit’s of the season with other’s less fortunate, family, and friends. There would be games and dancing. Today, the holiday is commonly celebrated as more of a secular family centered feast, that is within the private home. But, in church’s and community centers it is still a feast for the community, family, and friends. These places still offer meals to those less fortunate. There are many ways that the Thanksgiving holiday has transfigured over time.

Thanksgiving History in America:

In 1619, a group of English settlers arrived at Berkeley Hundred. They had decided to have a “day of thanksgiving” to God and then continue to observe the day every year. Captain John Woodleaf initiated the day of thanksgiving. This is considered the first Thanksgiving.

Then in 1621 Thanksgiving history continued when Governor William Bradford proclaimed “a day of thanksgiving.” The Plymouth Colony commemorated the foods they harvested with a feast. It had been a harsh winter and they gave thanks to God for blessing them. They invited the local Wampanoag Indians to join them. If not for a Native American named, Squanto, the colonist probably would not have survived the harsh winter…. much less had food to eat. Squanto taught them how to grow corn and catch eel. He had learned English while a slave in Europe. So, he also served as a translator between Native Americans and colonist. The thanksgiving meal became a symbolic cooperation between Native Americans and the English colonist. Historians know that venison and wild fowl was served at this meal, but are unsure what other items were included in the feast. They can only speculate- based on what food sources were available. This is the first Thanksgiving day feast.

From this point, “a day of Thanksgiving” was celebrated at different times, and at different locations throughout Thanksgiving history. Some were often sporadic. However, the tradition survived the centuries.

There were several days during the American Revolutionary War period that the Continental Congress asked for a thanksgiving day of observance. In 1777, George Washington, declared a Thanksgiving day to celebrate the Saratoga battle.

America’s first official declaration of a “ Thanksgiving Day ” was in 1789, by George Washington. He assigned the next Thursday (November 26th) “to be observed as a “ Thanksgiving Day ”.

Several presidents would follow and declare a day as “ a Thanksgiving Day, ” but Abraham Lincoln established what we now celebrate as Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln sought a way to unite the nation. In 1863, he gave his Thanksgiving Proclamation. This declared that the last Thursday in November would be the national “ Thanksgiving Day ”. It became a federal holiday.

Modern Thanksgiving Holiday:

Thanksgiving is now just the beginning of the “holiday season;” which includes Christmas and New Year’s. It is still a day of thanksgiving for many. However, it is centered more so around family gathering, with a turkey as the centerpiece. Food such as: cranberries, yams, mashed potatoes, corn bread dressing, hams, sweet potato pie, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, and many vegetables are not uncommon finds on today’s Thanksgiving table. Though, these foods have become symbolic of the typical Thanksgiving holiday meal, most of these foods were not available to early colonist.

Community games and dancing evolved into parades and Thanksgiving Day football games. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, in New York, features floats, character balloons, and high school marching bands. The parade ends with the Santa Clause float; signaling the end of Thanksgiving and the beginning of Christmas. There are other parades across every state.

American football is a huge part of modern the Thanksgiving holiday for some people. High school, college, and professional football- all have games centered around Thanksgiving day or weekend. High school games are often referred to as “Turkey Bowl” or “Turkey Day Game.” Many families have their own tradition of a back yard turkey bowl; where family members play their own game of football. While college games include the “ Turkey Day Classic,” between Alabama State University and Tuskegee University This has been a tradition since 1924. In the pro’s, The Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions are the usual teams to play.

Thanksgiving Day may have evolved….but as it evolved ,it cemented it’s place in American culture.