Thanksgiving

What exactly is Thanksgiving? To me it seems like an excuse to take two days off and eat turkey but I suspect there is more to it. This topic came up at Thanksgiving dinner round James and Amy's this year. One thing is for sure, Thanksgiving always gives you a nice long weekend as is not day fixed each year, but rather always occurs on the fourth Thursday in November. Typically companies give the following Friday off (aka Black Friday) so you always get a nice long weekend. :-)

The history certainly seems wide and varied, given my brief readings on Wikipedia. History points to the early pilgrims holding a celebration for a good harvest. It has also been used by governments, when the British were defeated at Satatoga in 1777!? and by Roosevelt to help get the country out of the depression in 1939. Here the hope was to drive forwards Christmas shopping and so the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) still marks the beginning of the Christmas season.

This would explain why it is so close to Christmas, which seems a bit odd to me. Personally I'd like to have a two day public holiday, next to a weekend, in the middle of the year and not when it's cold, wet and dark.



James is looking relaxed as usual..

Warp speed (ok I can't seem to take normal photos today)


Thanksgiving on Wikipedia
Thanksgiving Photos