Thanksgiving Origins: Where Did it Begin?

Thanksgiving, as we have come to know it, is an American tradition. The American Thanksgiving falls on the last Thursday of November every year. We celebrate Thanksgiving as more than just a celebration of the harvest, but also a time to be thankful for the other things in our lives. It was originally celebrated as thanks to the Native Americans who helped our first settlers, the Pilgrims, make it through their first year in North America.

Trying to decide whether Canada or the United States celebrated the first Thanksgiving is pointless. This is because the general idea behind Thanksgiving has been around for centuries. Europeans first brought the idea of celebrating the harvest to North America. Nearly every society celebrates a good harvest in one way or another. The Greeks would celebrate with fruits and grains filled in a goat's horn, hence cornucopia! Therefore, this gets back to what you consider Thanksgiving to be about. Americans put more meaning into our celebration than other societies; we celebrate more than just a bountiful harvest out of the fields.

Many Canadians believe that the first "official" North American Thanksgiving was held in Canada near what is now called Newfoundland. There was an Englishman by the name of Martin Frobisher who was one of the first explorers of the Northwest Passage. He started a mining colony, which was doomed and failed miserably. However, upon his arrival to Newfoundland, he gave formal thanks for the safe trip. There is some speculation to the legitimacy of this tale however.

There are some that claim it was not Frobisher who made the thanks that it was in fact the Reverend Robert Woolfall who offered this prayer. Furthermore, the thanks that were given were not thanks for a bountiful harvest, which is what we consider part of the meaning behind Thanksgiving. In fact, there was not a harvest to speak of. The meal that they prepared was of salted beef, peas and bread which was collected from barrels in the ships belly. For Canadians this counts as their first Thanksgiving.

Today, Canadians have what we consider a more traditional Thanksgiving, celebrating their harvest. However, since their winter season starts much earlier than ours they have to celebrate their harvest in October.

The American tradition of giving thanks to a bountiful harvest, good friends and a loving family was the first real Thanksgiving in North America and began in 1621 with the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Native Americans. While Canada will celebrate their Thanksgiving on the first Monday of October, we will celebrate our thanks on the third Thursday of November every year.