Appointed as a day to give thanks for the bountiful gifts of the land, the first national Thanksgiving day was proclaimed by George Washington and celebrated on November 26, 1789. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November. The Canadian observance of Thanksgiving began in 1879 and is celebrated annually on the second Monday of October.
Thanksgiving
Appointed as a day to give thanks for the bountiful gifts of the land, the first national Thanksgiving day was proclaimed by George Washington and celebrated on November 26, 1789. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November. The Canadian observance of Thanksgiving began in 1879 and is celebrated annually on the second Monday of October.