By Montserrat Arqué
06 Nov 2023, 19:33 PM EST
Finally, we are already in the month of November, another of the most festive seasons in the culture of the United States, since its inhabitants, many weeks in advance, prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with their entire family and loved ones.
From small to large gatherings, Thanksgiving Day is characterized by the traditional turkey to give thanks, but also other exquisite dishes that we usually prepare for this special date that will be celebrated at the end of this month.
Although it may seem silly, the day to celebrate Thanksgiving changes every year, that is why we will immediately tell you everything you need to know about this very special date in 2023.
Thanksgiving Day is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, so this year, it will be celebrated next Thursday, November 23.
It was in 1863, during the Civil War, when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving Day and asked Americans to reserve the last Thursday of November as a day of thanksgiving. After that, it became the norm to celebrate the holiday on that day.
However, in the 1930s, there were 2 years when Thanksgiving fell on the 5th Thursday in November. This caused some business owners to complain to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, since this situation would hurt retailers because there would be less time to do Christmas shopping. This led Congress to approve a law in 1941, which made it official that Thanksgiving would always be on the fourth Thursday in November.
Why is Thanksgiving celebrated on Thursday?
Perhaps we could think that it is so that, automatically, we have a 4-day weekend; However, the tradition dates back to Puritan times. The colonies periodically celebrated Thanksgiving to give thanks for a “blessing.”
According to Melanie Kirkpatrick, author of “Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience,” she says that many times those days of thanksgiving fell on a Thursday. They avoided Fridays because it was a fast day in the Catholic Church and also because they probably wanted to avoid praying on a holy day for Catholics.
Keep reading:
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* Who was Sarah Hale, the 19th century “influencer” who promoted Thanksgiving to be a national holiday in the United States
* 5 Thanksgiving dishes that are good for your health