Thanksgiving is a holiday that brings families together and is themed around gratitude, harvest, and sharing food. Every year, people in the United States and other regions celebrate Thanksgiving with turkey, pie, and heartfelt thanks. But when did people start celebrating Thanksgiving? This question may seem simple, but the history of Thanksgiving is long, layered, and deeply spiritual. To understand its origins, we need to explore the early stages of human gratitude, religious influences, colonial gatherings, and national declarations. People really started celebrating Thanksgiving.
Ancient Roots of Thanksgiving
Harvest Festivals in Early Civilizations
Before the official Thanksgiving holiday, people in many cultures celebrated the harvest. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Chinese all held festivals to thank the gods for the crops they had received. These events took place after the harvest season and were filled with food, ritual, and prayer.
People were closely connected to the land. A good harvest meant being able to survive the winter. People would thank the gods or nature itself. They believed that expressing gratitude would bring lasting blessings. The connection between gratitude and harvest became a universal human custom.
Although these ancient celebrations were not originally called “thanksgiving,” they formed the basis for the holiday that became Thanksgiving. The spiritual idea of thanking a higher power for blessings is one of the oldest traditions known to man.
Thanksgiving in Religious Practice
Many religions have made thanksgiving a core practice. In Judaism, Sukkot or Tabernacles is a day of thanksgiving for the harvest and the divine favor. In Christianity, thanksgiving is part of daily prayer and worship. Psalm 107, for example, calls on believers to “give thanks to the Lord.”
Thanksgiving in religious life goes beyond the harvest. It is a way to stay humble and connected to God. By expressing gratitude, people recognize the gifts they have received and the existence of something greater than themselves. An attitude of gratitude is the soul of every true thanksgiving.
Early Thanksgivings in the New World
The Pilgrims and the 1621 Gathering
The most well-known beginning of Thanksgiving is the 1621 celebration by the Pilgrims. These were English settlers who had arrived in Plymouth, in what is now Massachusetts. Their first winter was harsh. Many died. But by autumn of the next year, with the help of Native Americans, they had learned to grow crops and hunt.
The harvest was successful. To express their gratitude, the Pilgrims held a feast. They invited the Wampanoag people who had helped them survive. The gathering lasted for three days. They ate together, played games, and gave thanks to God.
This 1621 event is often called the “First Thanksgiving.” However, it was not yet an annual holiday. It was a special celebration for a specific moment. It reflected both spiritual thankfulness and the joy of community.
Other Early Days of Thanks in America
The 1621 feast was not the only early Thanksgiving. Colonists in Virginia, as early as 1619, also held days of prayer and thanks. Their events were more focused on worship than feasting. In other parts of New England, people would declare days of thanksgiving after special events like safe journeys, victories, or good weather.
These early thanksgivings were not scheduled or fixed. They were called by leaders or ministers whenever they felt gratitude was needed. Some were solemn, some were joyful. All were deeply spiritual. The idea of setting aside a day to thank God became more accepted in colonial life.
The Shift Toward National Thanksgiving
Proclamations by Colonial Leaders
As the colonies grew, leaders began to declare public days of thanksgiving more regularly. These were often in response to moments of crisis or relief. For example, after battles or after plagues, leaders would invite people to fast, pray, and give thanks.
These declarations were not yet about harvest. They were more about spiritual events and the welfare of the people. Still, they carried the same idea—thankfulness as a moral duty. Community members were encouraged to gather, reflect, and honor God for their blessings.
George Washington’s 1789 Proclamation
After the United States gained independence, the idea of a national day of thanksgiving returned. In 1789, President George Washington issued a proclamation. He called for a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to thank God for the new nation’s peace and freedom.
This was one of the first official national thanksgivings. It was not connected to harvest but to the spiritual and political success of the new country. Washington’s words reflected a deep sense of gratitude and humility. He invited the people to join together and remember the blessings they had received.
This set a precedent. Although it was not repeated yearly at that time, it created the model for what would later become a national holiday.
The Role of Religion and Culture
The Puritan Influence in New England
The Puritans in New England played an important role in shaping the culture of Thanksgiving. They believed in regular days of prayer and thankfulness. These days were not for food and entertainment, but for worship, confession, and praise. They would gather in churches to hear long sermons on the mercy of God.
Over time, these spiritual holidays merged with community feasts. It became more common to celebrate God’s favor with a large meal. This made Thanksgiving a more joyous holiday. The moral seriousness of the Puritans gave the holiday a deep spiritual core.
Even today, many people still begin their Thanksgiving meals with prayer. They pause to recall the blessings they have received and thank God. This practice is directly derived from early religious traditions.
The Spiritual Act of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving, at its core, is a spiritual act. It is more than turkey and pie. It is about the presence of grace in our lives. Gratitude can lift the heart, open up deeper relationships, and bring peace and hope.
When people pause to give thanks, they create space for reflection. They recognize their connection to others and to the sacred. Because of this, Thanksgiving is more than just a holiday; it reminds us to live gratefully every day.
In this way, Thanksgiving becomes a spiritual practice. It reminds people that life is a gift and that joy comes from gratitude.
Thanksgiving Becomes a National Holiday
Abraham Lincoln and the 1863 Proclamation
The defining moment in Thanksgiving becoming a national holiday occurred during the Civil War. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving. He was encouraged by a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale, who had long advocated for such a holiday.
Lincoln’s proclamation was full of deep spiritual content. He called on the nation to unite in humility, give thanks for the blessings they have received, and pray for peace. He recognized the need for unity and healing in a divided land. The holiday was not about victory, but about grace.
This marked the beginning of the nation’s annual national Thanksgiving celebration. Every year since then, a president has proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday. Thanksgiving became an integral part of national life.
Spiritual Unity in Times of Conflict
Lincoln’s decision to establish Thanksgiving in a time of war was significant. It demonstrated the power of gratitude to bring people together. Even in painful moments, people can find reasons to be thankful. Acts of gratitude can create hope, connection, and faith.
Thanksgiving reminds people that they are not alone. It teaches them to look beyond adversity and see the gifts that still exist. It is a holiday of the heart, rooted in spiritual truth and the courage of history.
Conclusion
The history of Thanksgiving is both long and rich. It begins not with a single event but with a deep human desire to give thanks. Ancient peoples thanked their gods for harvest. Religions taught that gratitude brings the soul closer to the divine. Early colonists gathered to pray and feast in thanks for survival and peace.
Thanksgiving became a national holiday through the faith and vision of leaders like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. It grew out of hardship and hope, shaped by spiritual purpose. Today, it is a time for families to come together, share food, and give thanks for life’s blessings.
Understanding when people started celebrating Thanksgiving is more than finding a date. It is about seeing how the human spirit reaches out in gratitude, again and again, across time and place. Thanksgiving is not just a holiday on the calendar. It is a way of living, rooted in faith, humility, and grace.
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