History of Thanksgiving Day?

What is Thanksgiving Day?

History of Thanksgiving Day

In the October 2012 edition of Lumens, John Roebuck provided an excellent history of this holiday. It is as follows:

Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in Canada and the United States. It's celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Because of the longstanding traditions of the holiday, the celebration often extends to the weekend that falls closest to the day it is celebrated. Historically, Thanksgiving had roots in religious and cultural tradition. Today, Thanksgiving is primarily celebrated as a secular holiday.

The origins of the first THanksgiving in Canada goes back to the explorer Martin Frobisher who had been trying to find a northern passage to the Pacific Ocean. Frobisher's THanksgiving celebration was not for harvest but was in thanks for surviving the long journey from England through the perils of storms and icebergs. In 1578, on his third and final voyage to these regions, (43 years prior to the 1621 celebration at Plymouth in present-day Massachusetts upon which the United States base their Thanksgiving Day) Frobisher held a formal ceremony in Frobisher Bay in Baffin Island (present-day Nunavut) to give thanks to God and in a service ministered by the preacher Robert Wolfall they celebrated Communion - the first-ever service in these regions. Years later, the tradition of a feast would continueas more settlers began to arrive in the Canadian colonies.

Although the original act of Parliament references God and the holiday is celebrated in churches, the holiday is mostly celebrated in a secular manner. Thanksgiving is a statutory holiday in all provinces in Canada, except for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. While businesses may remain open in these provinces, the holiday is nonetheless recognized and celebrated regardless of its status.