The first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 after the Pilgrim’s first fall harvest, where they found they had enough food to put away for the winter. Their Governor, William Bradford, proclaimed a day of thanksgiving that was to be shared by all the colonists and the neighboring Native American Indians.

The custom of celebrating a thanksgiving annually, held after the harvest, continued through the years. During the American Revolution a day of national thanksgiving was suggest by the Continental Congress.

New York State adopted the first annual Thanksgiving Day in 1817. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln appointed a national day of thanksgiving. Since then, each president issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, usually designating the fourth Thursday of each November as the holiday.

Now a big turkey dinner, football games, and black Friday sales are some of the American customs surrounding Thanksgiving Day. But don’t forget that, first and foremost, it’s a day to be thankful for what you have and for your friends and family. Go ahead and say “thanks” to the people who make a difference in your life!