Thanksgiving Day 2024: When was first holiday and why do we celebrate? What to know?

Steve Nguyen November 19, 2024 | 14:00

Thanksgiving, a holiday rooted in healing a bitterly divided nation, happens much later in November this year

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Thanksgiving, a holiday rooted in healing a bitterly divided nation, happens much later in November this year. Traditionally it's celebrated with lots of food, football games and a parade welcoming the approaching winter holiday season.

Each year, Thanksgiving draws lots of attention and Google searches. Here's a look at what people want to know about the holiday in 2024.

Thanksgiving Day 2024: When was first holiday and why do we celebrate? What to know?

When is Thanksgiving 2024?

Thursday, Nov. 28 is the date of this year's Thanksgiving.

When did Thanksgiving become a national holiday?

President Abraham Lincoln declared a national Thanksgiving holiday in 1863. It was a gesture, say historians, meant to reconcile a deeply divided country in the midst of the Civil War.

Why is Thanksgiving so late this year?

Thanksgiving is traditionally celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, but that wasn't always the case.

When was the first Thanksgiving and why do we celebrate?

The early history of Thanksgiving can be traced back to the autumn of 1621 in Massachusetts, but historians note there are several misconceptions about what it looked like.

Some Americans cling to a romanticized version of Thanksgiving, in which the Pilgrims invited Native Americans to share a bountiful meal together. That's not entirely true, say historians, and one of several myths about Thanksgiving that paints a deceptively rosy narrative, often overlooking how Native people suffered death, disease, enslavement or forced relocation by white European settlers.

The Pilgrims did celebrate a three-day harvest festival in 1621, experts say, but there's no record the Wampanoag tribe in Massachusetts received an official invitation to the party, according to the National Endowment for the Humanities. Instead, they might've crashed it.

Thanksgiving is more than just a holiday; it's a culinary adventure, a feast to remember, and a day to bring out the big food guns!

Was turkey always on the menu for Thanksgiving?

According to History.com, turkey was not on the menu during the Pilgrim's autumn feast. Instead, they would've likely eaten local seafood such as mussels, lobster and bass. The Wampanoag also brought deer and fruits, including pumpkin.

What time does the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade start?

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Nov. 28 and will air on NBC and Peacock.