Timeline of the American Thanksgiving Holiday

1541	During Coronado's expedition a Eucharistic thanksgiving, with the friendly Teya Indians present, occurred in Palo Duro Canyon in West Texas.
1621	Pilgrims and Native Americans enjoyed a harvest feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This feast may have become the model for today's American celebration.
1630	Settlers and colonists from many continents brought customs of days of prayer and thanksgiving, especially in New England, where the first Thanksgiving of the Massachusetts Bay Colony was observed on July 8, 1630.
1777	The first Thanksgiving of the new United States of America occurred in 1777 when General George Washington and his army, as instructed by the Continental Congress, stopped in bitter weather in the open fields on their way to Valley Forge to mark the occasion.
1789	Washington's first proclamation after his inauguration as the nation's first president in 1789 declared November 26, 1789, as a national day of "thanksgiving and prayer."
1800s	The annual presidential thanksgiving proclamations ceased for 45 years in the early 1800s.
1863	President Abraham Lincoln resumed the tradition in 1863.
November 26, 1941	President Roosevelt signed the bill establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. Because two years out of every seven have five Thursdays in November, some states for the next 15 years celebrated on their own on the last Thursday. Since 1956, the fourth Thursday in November has been observed by every state.

According to historical sources, the Pilgrims never held an autumnal Thanksgiving feast. The Pilgrims did have a feast in 1621 near Plymouth, Massachusetts, after their first harvest. This is the feast people often refer to as "The First Thanksgiving." This feast was never repeated, so it can't be called the start of a tradition, nor did the colonists or Pilgrims call it a Thanksgiving Feast. In fact, to these devoutly religious people, a day of thanksgiving was a day of prayer and fasting.

Nevertheless, the 1621 feast has become a model for the Thanksgiving celebration in the United States. More than likely, this first harvest feast was eaten outside, based on the fact that the colonists didn't have a building large enough to accommodate all the people who came. Native Americans definitely were among the invited guests, and it's possible, even probable, that turkey (roasted but not stuffed) and pumpkin in some form found their way to the table. The feast is described in a firsthand account presumably written by a leader of the colony, Edward Winslow, as it appears in Mourt's Relation:

"Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest King Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty."

From this we know that the feast went on for three days, included 90 "Indians," as Native Americans were called then, and had plentiful food. In addition to the venison provided by the Native Americans, there was enough wild fowl to supply the village for a week. The fowl included ducks, geese, turkeys and even swans.

Text ©2000 Thanks-Giving Square Foundation. All Rights Reserved

Attitude. Your perception of and beliefs about events, situations and people -- can increase stress and negatively impact your physical and emotional well-being.

Changing your perceptions about and reactions to stress-causing events and people in your life may, in turn, positively impact your health and well being.

Getting Started. To help you get started, here are some tips and strategies:

1. Make a list of all the people and things in your life for which you are grateful. Consider:

*People and Animals (such as parents, friends, spouses, your pets, wildlife around you, superiors, co-workers, teachers, acquaintances, people who have died, etc.) that you know or have known.

*Possessions (such as gifts, jobs, houses, apartments, income, cars, computers, etc.) that you have or have had.

*Events (such as birthdays, vacations, job accomplishments, educational achievements, parties, reunions, social and charitable involvement, etc.) that you have experienced.

*Opportunities for personal growth and development (such as relationships, sharing, learning from others, helping others, etc.) that you have or have had.

2. Make a list of *why* you are grateful for each of the above and define ways in which you can identify more of those people or create more of those things in your life.

3. Identify ways you can acknowledge and show your gratitude.
For example, send a letter or card to:

*Your parents      *Your grandparents                  *A current or old friend

*A neighbor         *Your boss or supervisor         *A current or former teacher or professor

*An organization, agency or store that has been particularly helpful to you or your family.

4.  Get involved.  Make a difference in your community, the environment, etc.  Contact your local home for the aged, community service center, animal shelter or an organization you believe in and ask what you can do.

5. Increase your awareness of and gratitude for abilities and common events that are often taken for granted. For example:

*The sunrises and sunsets           *The faces of individuals             *The smile of a dog

*The color of flowers and trees    *The architecture of buildings     *The clouds

*The chirping birds           *To the rustle of leaves

*The purr of a cat              *The laughter of people

*The sounds of automobiles          

*And the tone and pitch of your own voice

*Feel:

*The ground on which you are standing       *The softness of a dog or cat

*The chair in which you are sitting                *The muscles holding your body upright

*The leaves of a tree

*Turning your head           *Reaching out to shake someone's hand

*Smiling           *Swallowing           *Breathing

Notice how different air and water temperatures feel on your skin.

Focus on the taste and smell of different foods.

Notice the feel of wind, rain and snow.

Thank Yourself, Too. Increasing your ability to thank yourself (or to allow others to show their gratitude toward you) is also important to your health and well being.

To begin developing an attitude of gratitude about yourself, try some of the following:

1. Increase your awareness of when you put yourself down (verbally or in your mind).

When you catch yourself, stop the negative thought and re-frame it as a positive.

2. Assess if you are more critical of yourself than you are of others. If so, analyze why. Re-frame your thoughts so that you view yourself in a more positive, forgiving light.

3. Give yourself credit and thank yourself for all of the nice things you do or have done for others.

4. When someone gives you praise or shows gratitude toward you, learn to say "thank you" and to *feel* the other's appreciation.

People Helping People. This Thanksgiving I would like to thank all the people I have come in contact with, both in my professional and personal life. They have all touched and influenced me and made my life more meaningful.  Sincerely, Vivian Krug-Hotchkiss ~ Emotions Greeting Cards

©2001 Emotions Greeting Cards - VH Productions. All Rights Reserved

History: First appearing in 1927, Macy’s signature larger-than-life helium character Balloons will proudly take flight in the skies high above New York in the 77th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 27th. Many, many New Yorkers brave the cold, the wind, and the thousands of other New Yorkers to attend the parade and the amazing inflation process the night before.