thanksgiving
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Do Other Countries Have A Thanksgiving?
Is the United States the only country in the world to celebrate Thanksgiving? These two hosts figure it out.
OTHER WORDS FROM thanksgiving
pre-Thanks·giv·ing, adjectiveWords nearby thanksgiving
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What does thanksgiving mean?
The word thanksgiving means the act of expressing or feeling thankfulness.
In other words, it’s the act of giving thanks for what you’re grateful for.
This sense of the word is often used in a religious context. For example, a prayer of thanksgiving involves praying to express gratitude for the blessings in one’s life.
The word thanksgiving is also used as the name of a national holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada. It’s officially known as Thanksgiving Day but is commonly just called Thanksgiving. It is observed in the U.S. on the fourth Thursday of November, and in Canada on the second Monday of October.
Today, the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. is traditionally celebrated with family gatherings and a large meal, especially one that includes a roast turkey. Other traditional Thanksgiving dishes include mashed potatoes, stuffing or dressing, and pumpkin pie. The association with eating turkey has led to the informal nickname Turkey Day.
Example: A lot of people forget that Thanksgiving is not just a time for gathering and eating but for actual thanksgiving—acknowledging all of the things we have to be thankful for.
Where does thanksgiving come from?
The first records of the word thanksgiving come from around 1530. The word has been used as the name of a holiday since the 1600s. The first records of the term Thanksgiving Day come from around the 1670s.
The history of the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. is often traced back to the 1621 harvest meal that is believed to have been attended by Pilgrim colonists in Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, and members of the Wampanoag Tribe of Native Americans. While historians do believe that the two groups were in fact present together at that time, many of the details surrounding their relations and the nature of the meeting have been mythologized. There is certainly no evidence that the event was seen as the start of a holiday tradition at the time.
The first official national Thanksgiving holiday was set by President George Washington in 1789, but it was a one-time event. It wasn’t until 1863 that Thanksgiving was officially declared as an annual national holiday by President Abraham Lincoln. But the holiday was not connected to the history of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag until later. The holiday remained on the fourth Thursday of November until 1939, when it was moved to the third Thursday of November. It went back to being on the fourth Thursday in 1942.
Thanksgiving became an annual national holiday in Canada in 1879 and was set as the second Monday in October in 1957. Earlier celebrations of Thanksgiving in Canada were inspired by the U.S. holiday. Today, it’s often celebrated similarly, with family gatherings and large meals.
Did you know ... ?
What are some synonyms for thanksgiving?
- giving thanks
- thankfulness
- gratitude
- gratefulness
What are some synonyms for Thanksgiving?
- Thanksgiving Day
- Turkey Day (informal)
What are some words that share a root or word element with thanksgiving?
What are some words that often get used in discussing thanksgiving?
How is thanksgiving used in real life?
Thanksgiving is most commonly used as the name of the holiday. When used in a general sense, it is often used in a religious context.
6 #Thanksgiving Myths and the #Wampanoag Side of the Story
Did you know: "The Thanksgiving Day Celebration Originated From a Massacre?"https://t.co/Z8kZvwnm2e
Article in @IndianCountry by @VinceSchilling pic.twitter.com/VfEDO1WKdW
— Vincent Schilling (@VinceSchilling) November 14, 2017
As David Silverman writes in his new book "This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving," much of that story is a myth riddled with historical inaccuracies. https://t.co/Mjf1nF99NX
— Smithsonian Magazine (@SmithsonianMag) November 27, 2019
I’ve never known a happy person who lives without a deep spirit of thanksgiving and gratitude. It’s an attribute and way of life worth developing. Happy Thanksgiving!! So much to be thankful for.
— Matt Thurmond (@MattThurmond) November 23, 2017
Try using thanksgiving!
Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of the general sense of thanksgiving?
A. gratitude
B. thankfulness
C. supplication
D. gratefulness
How to use thanksgiving in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for thanksgiving
- an expression of thanks to God
- a public act of religious observance or a celebration in acknowledgment of divine favours