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Thanksgiving: The US Harvest Festival

Posted On: September 20, 2013

The fourth Thursday of every November is Thanksgiving, the US Harvest Festival. Thanksgiving is a harvest festival (similar to Pongal or Onam in India). It commemorates the day the Native Americans and Pilgrims befriended each other and shared their first feast together near to Plymouth Rock in the state of Massachusetts. 


Typically most Americans have the Thursday off as well as Friday (Black Friday), to make it a four day weekend. School kids also tend to have off Thursday and Friday, going back to school on Monday. Sometimes, Wednesday is a day off, too.

It is completely acceptable to wish Americans a Happy Thanksgiving.


Note Thanksgiving in the US is on the 4th Thursday of November, while it is on the 2nd Monday in Canada (the second Monday in the US tends to be Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples Day depending on the state). 

Thanksgiving, America’s harvest festival, falls on the fourth Thursday of November. In this blog, let’s watch a few videos of Americans celebrating this secular holiday. 

What’s it Like to Celebrate Thanksgiving in an American’s Home with their Family?

Click on the title of the section to go to YouTube to watch the video.

Americans Express Gratitude on Thanksgiving Holiday 
See how two average American families celebrate Thanksgiving. In this video, one can see the kinds of foods Americans eat on this holiday including turkey, cranberries and other main courses. Also, you can learn about how Americans show their thanks on Thanksgiving and how they make wishes. 

Surprising My Family On Thanksgiving 
In today’s world, many of us may live away from our families for work, studies or other reasons. In the US, this is also the case. So, it is only on major holidays like Thanksgiving that people make sure they go home to spend their days off of work, college or school with their families. Sometimes, these visits are not always discussed with family members in advance as the out of town family member wants to surprise their family, reuniting with them on Thanksgiving, as in the video below. 

Thanksgiving Travel: Millions on the Move
Thanksgiving is the busiest travel season for Americans. According to the video below, in 2012, more than 40 million Americans traveled 50 miles or more from home to reunite with families for Thanksgiving. See more in the video below. 

While the number of people travel may vary from year to year, a few things remain the same: some may start their holiday the Friday before Thanksgiving, so people look out for local, state or national forecasts to plan their travel by air or car in advance. See the two videos below for more insights. Watch – 2019 Thanksgiving Travel Forecast

 

 

When is Thanksgiving in the USA?
2020- November 26
2021- November 25 
2022- November 24 
2023- November 23
2024- November 28
2025- November 27 


What about Thanksgiving in Canada? 
Yes, there is a Thanksgiving Day in Canada. Some refer to it as Canadian Thanksgiving. It is also a harvest festival, though it is celebrated on the second Monday of October (when Columbus Day or Indigenous People’s Day is commemorated in the USA). 

Updated 2019, 2020


Related Posts:
Small Talk for the US Independence Day  
Simple Formula for Small Talk 
Holidays in 2014