About the contents of the Thanksgiving handwritten newspaper

The origin of Thanksgiving can be traced back to the beginning of American history. In 1620, the famous "Mayflower" ship arrived in America, carrying 102 Puritans who could not endure the religious persecution in Britain. In the winter between 1620 and 1621, they encountered unimaginable difficulties and were suffering from hunger and cold. When the winter passed, there were only about 50 immigrants who survived. At this time, the kind-hearted Indians brought daily necessities to the immigrants, and specially sent people to teach them how to hunt, fish, and grow corn and pumpkins. With the help of the Indians, the immigrants finally got a good harvest. On the day of celebrating the harvest, according to religious traditions and customs, the immigrants set a day to thank God, and decided to thank the Indians for their sincere help and invite them to celebrate the festival together.

On the day of the first Thanksgiving, Indians and immigrants gathered together. They fired salutes at dawn, lined up into a house used as a church, and expressed their gratitude to God devoutly. Then a bonfire was lit and a grand banquet was held. On the second and third days, wrestling, racing, singing, dancing and other activities were held. The first Thanksgiving was a huge success. Many of these celebration methods have been passed down for more than 300 years and have been preserved to this day.

At first, there was no fixed date for Thanksgiving, which was decided by each state. It was not until the independence of the United States that Thanksgiving became a national holiday. In 1863, President Lincoln made Thanksgiving a legal holiday. By 1941, the U.S. Congress passed a law setting Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November each year. Every Thanksgiving Day, the whole country in the United States is bustling with excitement. People follow the custom of going to churches to say thanksgiving prayers. There are costume parades, theatrical performances or sports competitions everywhere in cities and towns. Relatives who have been separated for a year will also return from all over the world, and the family will reunite and taste the delicious Thanksgiving turkey.

The origin of Canadian Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving in Canada and the United States is not on the same day. The Canadian Parliament listed Thanksgiving as a statutory holiday later than the United States. But Canada's first Thanksgiving was 40 years earlier than the United States, and Canada's Thanksgiving celebration was on the second Monday in October. Unlike the American tradition of remembering the Puritan ancestors who settled in the New World, Canadians mainly thank God for their successful harvest. Thanksgiving in Canada is earlier than Thanksgiving in the United States. The simple fact is that Canada's harvest season is earlier than that in the United States because Canada is closer to the north. Canadian Thanksgiving is generally considered to be influenced by three traditional customs.

One is the influence from European tradition. Since the earliest harvest about 2,000 years ago, people have celebrated the harvest and thanked the rich nature for its kindness and good luck. When Europeans came to Canada, they also brought this tradition to Canada and had an impact on the later Canadian Thanksgiving tradition.

The second is the impact of British explorers celebrating their survival. Canada held its first official Thanksgiving 40 years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts. In 1578, an English explorer named Martin Frobisher tried to discover a passage to the east, but he failed. But he established a settlement in what is now the Canadian province of Newfoundland and held a feast to celebrate survival and harvest. Other later settlers continued these "thank you" rituals. This time is considered Canada's first Thanksgiving.

The third influence came from the later United States. In the autumn of 1621, the British immigrants who traveled across the ocean to the New World of America held a three-day carnival to thank God for the harvest. From then on, this custom continued and gradually became popular all over the world. During the American Revolution, a group of loyalists from the United States who were loyal to the British royal family migrated to Canada and brought American Thanksgiving customs and methods to Canada. In 1750, the harvest celebration was brought to Nova Scotia by immigrants from the southern United States. At the same time, French immigrants arrived and held a "Thanksgiving" feast. These have had a profound impact on Canadian Thanksgiving.

In 1879, the Canadian Parliament declared November 6 to be Thanksgiving Day and a national holiday. In subsequent years, the date of Thanksgiving changed many times until January 31, 1957, when the Canadian Parliament declared the second Monday in October each year as Thanksgiving Day, a day to thank Almighty God for blessing Canada and giving Rich harvest.

In 1863, President Lincoln officially declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in the United States. Usually the allusions of American Thanksgiving are always inseparable from the Pilgrims and famous leader Bradford, 102 companions, the 180-ton, 90-foot-long wooden sailing ship Mayflower, Cape Cod Bay, Plymouth Harbor, Indians and chiefs Massassod. These are historical testimonials to the first permanent settlement of New England in America.

There are many similarities between the Thanksgiving Days of the two countries, such as cornucopia and pumpkin pie filled with flowers, fruits and grains to symbolize fertility. The food on the Canadian Thanksgiving dinner table usually varies with region and time. Some are venison and waterfowl, some are wild ducks and wild geese, but currently they are mainly turkey and ham.

The Egyptians’ “Thanksgiving”

The ancient Egyptian Harvest Festival was held in memory of their crop gods. Their harvest season is spring, so this festival is held every spring. During the festival, the ancient Egyptians first held a procession, followed by a festive banquet. At the same time, music, dances, sports competitions, etc. are also their celebration items.

When the ancient Egyptians celebrated their corn harvests, they often pretended to cry and be distraught in order to deceive the "spirit" they believed existed in the corn. They feared that harvesting the still-growing corn would make this spirit angry.

Hebrew "Thanksgiving"

The Jews also celebrated the harvest. Their festival was called Sukkoth. Sukkoth, held every autumn, has a history of more than 3,000 years. Sukkoth begins on the 15th day of Tishri (a Jewish month) in the Hebrew calendar and the fifth day after Yom Kippur (the holiest day of the year for Jews).

During the eight-day Sukkoth festival, Jews build huts with tree branches to recall the altar where their ancestors worshiped. The huts are temporary, with branches not inserted into the ground and roofs covered with thatch to allow light to enter. Fruit and vegetables are hanging around the house, including apples, grapes, corn and pomegranates. On the second day of the festival, the Jews held their holiday banquet in a hut under the stars.

Greek "Thanksgiving"

The ancient Greeks believed in many gods. Their corn goddess (actually the god of all cereals) was called Demeter. They held Thesmosphoria every autumn. The festival is dedicated to commemorating this goddess.

On the first day of the festival, married women (probably to connect pregnancy with the growth of crops) build huts covered with leaves and put benches made of plants inside. The next day is their fast day. A banquet was held on the third day, and gifts of corn seeds, cakes, fruits and pigs were offered to the goddess.