The story of Thanksgiving Day originated from the first contacts between European settlers and Native Americans. The most popular version of its origins dates back to 1621, when a group of English colonists, well-known as the Pilgrim Fathers, settled in Plymouth, in the current state of Massachusetts. The symbolic dish of this festivity is the Turkey, that, even if there is not any evidence which proves its presence at the first feast, was already popular in the whole of America. Even now Thanksgiving Day is not only a meal, but rather a sign of gratitude for blessings of harvest and of previous year. The celebrations take place on the fourth Thursday of November every year, as decided by Abraham Lincoln. However, there are some disputes related to the date…
HOW TRADITIONS CHANGED DURING THE TIME
In 1939, the President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the day of celebration to the penultimate Thursday of November, with the purpose to revamp the economy. Change provoked a lot of confusion and people had to change their own plans, including schools, workers and businesses. Some governors approved the modification, whereas others remained faithful to the date of origin or celebrated in both dates, until 1941 when Roosevelt declared that Thanksgiving Day would have been celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month.
In the East Coast, oysters filling is traditional, a heritage of times when crustaceans were cheap and plentiful. In the Southern States, filling of corn flatbread is preferred, whereas in the Northern USA, between the filling ingredients, wild rice is often used.