Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year where we can express gratitude for the bounty we have and the family that we share it with. Today’s Thanksgiving is very different from yesteryears, but it all begins around the same concept: to give thanks.

In 1789, George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation—he called upon the American people to rejoice in their independence and to give thanks and gratitude for the conclusion of their first war, according to history.com. Several states decided to adopt a state Thanksgiving holiday, but the majority of the southern states were still unfamiliar with the practice of Thanksgiving. Sarah Josepha Hale, an author and magazine editor famous for “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” started campaigning to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. Eventually Abraham Lincoln conceded and honored her request. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln made a proclamation that told all of the Americans to “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife … to heal the wounds of the nation.” The schedule for Thanksgiving was the last Thursday of the month of November, until Roosevelt tried to change the day to a week earlier, to give consumers more time to shop and attempt to counteract the Great Depression. It was changed back 2 years later after a lot of backlash.
Nowadays, Thanksgiving is typically spent with family members, feasting on turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and lots and lots of pies. Though it started as a religious holiday, Thanksgiving has separated from its religious beginnings, but is just as meaningful for many families today. One of the greatest traditions today is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and though parades have nothing to do with Thanksgiving, it is an extremely important part of Thanksgiving for many families. And, a recent tradition has begun with the president of the United States; every Thanksgiving, the president pardons a turkey or two and sends them to a farm instead of sending them to the slaughter.

Thank you to all of our customers for your continual support. We are thankful for this time of year and hope that you, our valued customers, have the most wonderful Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!