ciao a tutti<BR><BR>my lifepartner and i just thaught about what exactly thanksgiving is. i know this thread isn't really for the italian part of the board. what we know is, that it's very important that family comes together (but we know this only because in the news they talk since years about the airtraffic and queing of people on thanksgiving and the days before) and the turkey. that's it. but what's the history and the sence? thank's americans for your answer! i will put some swiss christmascookies into the pipline.<BR><BR>christina

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November and, historically, is meant to be the day on which we express thanks to God for all She/He has given us. It started as a religious holiday celebrated by the first European settlers in New England. Legend has it that the first official Thanksgiving, in Plymouth, Massachusetts, was a celebratory feast which marked the peaceful coexistence of the Europeans and native Indian population. (We all know how that turned out!)<BR><BR>Over time, it has evolved into a more secular holiday, although some people attend church services in the morning. Also, since it is a day when most families gather in their hometowns, it is a period when school reunions are held, season-ending (American) football games are held at high schools across the country, and families gather to have a feast of turkey and other traditional foods.<BR><BR>The day after Thanksgiving (Friday) is usually taken off by most Americans and traditionally marks the beginning of the Christmas season. People start their Christmas shopping, start decorating their homes, etc.

Thanksgiving originated as a harvest celebration -- many cultures, in many places, give thanks to their God (gods?) for bringing them foor for the coming winter. In the US, harvest Thanksgivings and Thanksgivings for specific events were a longstanding tradition.<BR><BR>In the US, during the Civil War of 1861-1865, Preident Abraham Lincoln saw that the country needed comfort and a way to bring itself together. So he instituted a new national yearly holiday, celebrated on a Thursday in November, when Americans reflect on their blessings (especially famly and food!).<BR><BR>The tradition says that the American Thanksgiving reflects the very first Thanksgiving, held by the early English settlers in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1621. <BR><BR>In modern Plymouth, there is a re-creation of the Pilgrims' community. "Plimoth Plantation" has a big celebration every year on Thanksgiving. <BR><BR>Thanksgiving is now held on the fourth Thursday in November. Originally, it was the last Thursday, but sometimes this made the subsequent Christmas shopping season too short. So this year it's on November 22.<BR><BR>http://www.plimoth.org/library/thanksgiving/firstT.htm

In Canada Thanksgiving is usually the second weeekend in October and it is on a Monday. It does not differ in reason or theme from American Thanksgiving, but it is just at a different time.

One note: most high school football teams finish their seasons long before Thanksgiving.

The date for Thanksgiving has changed a couple of times over the years. My sister was born on Nov. 21, 1940 on Thanksgiving day, but her birthday can never be on Thanksgiving again. Due to the economy, FDR had temporarily moved Thanksgiving to the third thursday of the month to lengthen the Christmas shopping season. But it later got changed to the fourth Thursday. Isn't it interesting that Thanksgiving was always the kick-off for the Christmas shopping season, but it has since moved to Halloween -- or is it Labor Day?

It must be a regional thing James. Here in the Northeast, it wouldn't be Thansgiving without freezing to death at the Football game before dinner!

grazie tanto!<BR><BR>hei, that's cool, i know now something more! thank you to all for answering my question. cookies are in the pipline <BR><BR>so, i wish everyone a beautiful and happy thanksgiving next week. stay well and take care and never take it for granted that we can live on this earth and making travelplans.<BR><BR>tanti saluti<BR><BR>christina

christina<BR>thanks for your good wishes<BR>I'll just add, that part of the ritual is a feast of very American<BR>foods, and each person feels that the Thanksgiving meal wouldn't be complete without _________ (fill in the blank, anything from creamed onions to pumpkin pie to empanadas. I know an Italian-American family who always has lasagna before the turkey and then everything else that follows.) And we get to eat it all without the usual nutritional guilt.<BR>This time of year fax machines are very busy with recipes being exchanged, although everyone usually wants to eat exactly what was served last year, and the year before that.<BR><BR>And aside from the food, there's this wonderful feeling of belonging and "family", being with people you care about. Thanksgiving and July 4 are perhaps the only two holidays that<BR>all Americans, regardless of their religion or heritage, really celebrate,and Thanksgiving most of all.<BR>

Christina for me this holiday is only about family and thanks for what you have. I love this holiday the most because it has the least amount of religious ties to it. This is one of the significant holidays in NYC, where everyone comes together and noone is divided by silly religious lines. Just love going to Central Park the night before the big Macey's day parade and watch fathers totting toddlers on their shoulders to get closer looks of inflating balloons. Everyone coming home, meeting friends, I just love it. This year I will getting home to my own family a bit late just to watch this in central park. Also want to celebrate a bit with the city in this very trying year.

ciao sss<BR><BR>that's wonderful. i think it would be great for everyone of us, to have a celebration like thanksgiving to meet family and stay together. for me it's santa claus day (6th december in switzerland) to go to my family in switzerland and celebrate this day with them. then christmas here in florence, but it's nothing with the religios part. it's just for all of us the possibility to meet eachother and have a fun lunch and give some gifts. if you have a family where everyone lives spread over europe then you like to have days like this. but actually i would love to have a day like thanksgiving.<BR><BR>have a nice evening!<BR><BR>christina

Thanksgiving is far and away my most favorite day of the year. Nothing like the stress of Christmastime. It is a big holiday for my family with many family traditions. For instance, whoever is the "new man" in attendance carves the turkey. This year it will be my niece's boyfriend from Norway. Of course, there's lots of suggestions and support from the peanut gallery, especially from the men who have already earned their stripes. My husband had to carve the turkey 11 years ago on his first Thanksgiving with my family. Last year it was a slam dunk though, we had a friend visiting who was a chef so he outdid all of us with fancy turkey carving. In our family, Thanksgiving is really more important than Christmas for the family coming together. We will all say something we are thankful for before dinner, even the little ones join in. And besides the usual family members we always have a few "strays", folks who are unable to join their own families for whatever reason. And it is nice to have the long weekend to spend time with those we love.

Sss's reply above made me think -- he loves Thanksgiving because of the lack of religious aspects; I love it because it reminds me that the US exists because people were willing to risk everything in order to have freedom of, and even freedom FROM, religion. It's so wonderful to live where sss and I both are free to believe what we believe, and express it!

Christina, I have never heard of "santa claus day in Switzerland". Will you describe what is typical one is like? What are the customs and traditions? Is there a big meal? A Christmas tree with presents all around?

Les,<BR>My family refers to Santa Claus day as St. Nicolas day. We put shoes outside our door and St. Nick leaves candy and maybe a small toy in the shoes. It is not a big present day or holiday in USA like Christmas, in fact my daughter often went right to school after checking her shoes.<BR><BR>

And, all this time, I thought Thanksgiving was some meal to celebrate football. I need to straighten my dad out ...

Les, Santa Claus in Switzerland comes exactly on December 6!<BR>Usually, he comes in the late afternoon or in the evenings to visit the families with children. He will talk to the children and give them a lesson, if necessary. Usually, those Santas are friends of the family or can get rented (there are kind of associations where they are trained how to speak to children, etc). The parents will explain him before the visit, what he has to tell the children. We usually had to play piano when he came....<BR>Then, the children get a small present. Usually a small bag (textile) with nuts, fruit, chocolates and alike. No real big presents though. They are for December 24 just like the Christmas tree as well.<BR>There is no big meal, really. In our house, we used to have "Grittib&auml;nz" (oh,oh, how to translate). Well, it's sort of a sweet pastry, shaped like a little man together with home-made hot chocolate.<BR>You will also find Santas in shops and department stores who give small goodies to the clients.<BR>A very nice day. I am looking forward to it, although I am not a child anymore.<BR>

Thanks Ursula that was interesting.

les, ursula explained it real good!<BR><BR>my sister does have a tradition since years now, at st. claus we meet at her home and have with several friends of her and her daughter a meal and talk and have fun. the meal are this famous "grittib&auml;nze" made by herself (this year i will help her), ham, prosciutto di parma and gorgonzola dolce (that's what i have to bring from here), different home made marmelades and other yummi stuff. with st. clauses in chocolat. once she organized a st. claus for the adults (she rented one) and it was very exyting. because all of us adults where sitting there with shiny eyes, red cheeks and waiting for what this st. clause have to tell us. <BR><BR>when i was a kid, i went often into the nearby forrest with my mom and friends to search the st. claus. can you immagine how it is, around 6 pm, it's allready dark, when i was a kid there was allways snow... and all of us walking through the forrest to find st. claus within burning candles and "windlights" (this candles hanging in trees in a glass pot) and with his donkey (yes, the donkey is important for the swiss claus, he needs him to transport him from here to there). i allways thought it's a real looong walk, later i found out, that it was only a vew meters in the forrest. however, it was allways something very special and while writing this i'm a bit exited and start to get shiny eyes and red cheeks.<BR><BR>ursula! i w&uuml;nsche dir &auml; sack n&uuml;ss und mandarindli u &auml;s paar schoggichl&ouml;is am 6. dez&auml;mber! i s&ouml;tt dir scho l&auml;ngschtens mau schribe, das holeni no nache!<BR><BR>tanti saluti<BR><BR>christina

Christina, I just wanted to thank you for starting such a wonderful post! It made me think about what I was thankful for and appreciate the family I am going to travel to see this Thanksgiving.<BR><BR>I made a copy of this post in case Fodor's decided to delete it. I hope not. Even though it is not directly about travel, it has been wonderful and informative about how various parts of the world give thanks and celebrate family.<BR><BR>To Christina and all, travel safely and have a wonderful and rewarding holiday season!