Thanksgiving Traditions
If you’re wondering where Thanksgiving traditions came from, KRDO staff writers searched for the origins of some of the most popular ones.
Modern Thanksgiving has its direct origins in American history.
On Sept. 6, 1620, a group of Puritans set sail on a ship called the Mayflower, leaving from England and arriving in the New World after 65 days.
The Pilgrims’ first winter was so harsh that fewer than 50 of the group survived the season.
On March 16, 1621, an Abnaki Indian named Samoset entered the Plymouth settlement.
He welcomed the Pilgrims in English, and the next day returned with another American Indian named Squanto, who spoke English well. He taught them how to get sap out of the maple trees, how to avoid plants that were poisonous and how to plant corn and other crops.
The harvest was very successful, due in large part to help from the American Indians.
Plymouth Colony’s Governor, William Bradford, decided to throw a celebratory feast. The American Indians brought food as well, and the celebration lasted for three days.
Historians believe that this celebration took place sometime in the fall. And although there are very few clues to reconstruct the feast, some scholars believe that food items, like venison and fish, were the main sources of protein, rather than turkey.
Today, turkey is on 90% of American Thanksgiving tables.
Apart from food, the biggest Thanksgiving traditions are football and parades. In ancient harvest festivals, people usually celebrated with games, so you could say the football tradition has very deep roots.
The tradition of Thanksgiving parades goes back to the early 20th century, when people began to associate Thanksgiving with the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. In order to attract customers, stores like Macy’s sponsored elaborate parades like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
It’s not known exactly when United States presidents began pardoning the White House Thanksgiving turkey, but the tradition is thought to be connected to Abraham Lincoln sparing a turkey named “Jack” from becoming the main dish in a holiday meal.
