Around the world, we have many holidays. Thanksgiving is one of them, but have you ever wondered how did this tradition began? The American and Canadian Thanksgivings both have an interesting history.
Poster for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. From Amazon.
The American Thanksgiving
In 1540, under the lead of Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, a group of men left Mexico City to find gold up north. One year later, while camping in the Palo Duro Canyon, "Padre Fray Juan de Padilla called for a feast of prayer and thanksgiving," according to History.com.
Later, in 1598, Juan de Oñate, a rich Spanish grandee, was given a land near the Pueblo people. He then decided to journey from the Chihuahua Desert to the Rio Grande, with a large group of people. They barely survived the odyssey, and after 10 days of resting near what is now known as San Elizario, Texas, Oñate called for a thanksgiving feast. One of his men said in his journal that they "built a great bonfire and roasted the meat and fish, and then all sat down to a repast the like of which we had never enjoyed before … We were happy that our trials were over," as stated by History.com.
Nine years later, in 1607, British colonists had a prayer meeting and harvest feast with the Abenaki people of Maine at Fort St. George. However, some historians believe that the founders of St. Augustine, Florida had a festive meal with the Timucuan people in 1565.
In November 1621, as mentioned by History.com, "the colonists wanted to celebrate their first good crop of corn and barley grown with generous assistance from the native Wampanoag Indians." So, four men went out to kill "as much fowl" as they could in one day, probably for turkeys but most likely for ducks and geese. The British colonists invited King Massasoit and some of his men, who would bring 5 deer to the three-day long party. American tradition today relates this feast as the first Thanksgiving.
Painting of the first Thanksgiving. From History.com.
The Canadian Thanksgiving
Nations across Turtle Island have thanksgiving traditions for surviving harsh winters and "for receiving crop and game as a reward for their hard work," according to Canada's History. In 1578, Sir Martin Frobisher celebrated a Thanksgiving ceremony in North America, followed by Samuel de Champlain and the citizens of New France in 1606.
The Canadian Encyclopedia states that "The celebration featuring the uniquely North American turkey, squash and pumpkin was introduced to Nova Scotia in the 1750s and became common across Canada by the 1870s." The first official Thanksgiving in Canada was celebrated on November 6, 1879, and has been declared by the Canadian Parliament as “a day of general thanksgiving to almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed.”
Samuel de Champlain. From the Canadian Encyclopedia.
Bibliography:
Roos, D. "Thanksgiving: A Timeline of the Holiday." History.com. Published November 21, 2019, updated November 22, 2021. https://www.history.com/news/thanksgiving-timeline
Silverman, D. "Thanksgiving Day." Encyclopedia Britannica. Last updated on September 24, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Thanksgiving-Day
Written by Mills, D, McIntosh, A, and Bonikowsky, Laura. Updated by Cooper, C. "Thanksgiving in Canada." The Canadian Encyclopedia. July 5, 2019. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/thanksgiving-day
Nagy, A. "The History of Thanksgiving in Canada." Canada's History. October 4, 2018. https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/arts-culture-society/the-history-of-thanksgiving-in-canada
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