Elev: Andrei Moldovan Class VI G

 Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Traditionally, it has been a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest.harvest festivalUnited States Canada  While there was an underlying religious element in the original celebration, Thanksgiving today is primarily identified as a secular holiday.

 In Canada, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October, which is Columbus Day in the United States. In the United States, it falls on the fourth Thursday of November.October Columbus Day November

 The date, location, and purpose of the first Thanksgiving celebration are topics of some disagreement.  While North Americans today celebrate the story of the first Thanksgiving held in 1621 at Plymouth, Massachusetts, there is some evidence for an earlier harvest celebration on the continent by Spanish explorers in Florida during There was also a fest two years before Plymouth (in 1619) in Virginia. A gathering in Newfoundland in 1578 was to celebrate a homecoming instead of the harvest.Plymouth MassachusettscontinentSpanishFloridaVirginiaNewfoundland

 Currently, in the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, and in Canada it is celebrated on the second Monday of October.United StatesCanada  Thanksgiving in the United States was observed on various dates throughout history. By the middle of the 20th century, the final Thursday in November had become the customary day of Thanksgiving in most U.S. states. It was not until December 26, 1941, however, that President Franklin D. Roosevelt, after pushing two years earlier to move the date earlier to give the country an economic boost, signed a bill into law with Congress, making Thanksgiving a national holiday and settling it to the fourth (but not final) Thursday in November.20th centuryFranklin D. Rooseveltmove the date earlierCongress  Thanksgiving in Canada did not have a fixed date until the late 19th century, at which time it was typically held on November 6. After the end of World War I, Thanksgiving Day and Remembrance Day ceremonies were usually held during the same week. To prevent the two holidays from clashing with one another, in 1957 the Canadian Parliament proclaimed Thanksgiving to be observed on its present date.19th centuryWorld War IRemembrance DayCanadian Parliament

 America's preeminent 'Thanksgiving Parade' is an important tradition. It was first held in the year 1924 in Detroit down to Woodward Avenue. The parade began on a very small scale, its popularity grew with each passing year, and after almost 24 years of the parade tradition, it was televised locally in Fours years later in 1952 the parade received national coverage. The Parade is famously known for its policy of going on under any circumstance or condition; be it rain or shine. The most bittersweet year of the Parade was 1963, which was held less than a week after President Kennedy's assassination, the country was still in mourning. But, as they say 'The show must go on', the parade was held so as not to disappoint millions of children and viewers. Thanksgiving parades also occur in other cities like Plymouth, Houston, Philadelphia and Detroit (where it is the only major parade of the year). Important Features of Thanksgiving Parade Important features of the parade are moving stands with specific themes, scenes from Broadway plays, large balloons of cartoon characters and TV personalities, and high school marching bands. The parade comes to an end with Santa Claus's image passing the stands.