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Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Germany. It is also observed in the Australian territory of Norfolk Island.
Thanksgiving is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November (which became the uniform date country-wide in 1941). [2] [3] Outside the United States, it is sometimes called American Thanksgiving to distinguish it from the Canadian holiday of the same name and related celebrations in other regions.
According to the myth, the Pilgrims left England on the Mayflower in search of religious freedom. [2]: 7-8 [3] Although the settlers did include the Separatists, who wanted to break away from the Church of England, other members of the community had travelled to the New World for largely financial reasons, rather than religious reasons.
Several presidents opposed days of national thanksgiving, with Thomas Jefferson openly denouncing such a proclamation. [19] That was seen as ironic because Jefferson had proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving while he was the governor of Virginia. By 1855, 16 states celebrated Thanksgiving (14 on the fourth Thursday of November, and two on the third).
These are holidays that are not traditionally marked on calendars. These holidays are celebrated by various groups and individuals. Some are designed to honor or promote a cause or a historical event not officially recognized, while a few others are both celebrated and intended as humorous distractions.
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In August 1939, amid the Great Depression, Fred Lazarus Jr., head of Federated Department Stores (which would later become Macy's), lobbied President Franklin D. Roosevelt to move Thanksgiving a week earlier, to the second to last Thursday of November instead of the last Thursday of November, to make the Christmas shopping season last longer and help boost retail sales.
Wikiproject Calendars compiles worldwide holidays in different calendar formats, and provides links to information on each holiday. Please feel free to add holidays to the calendars, and move the blue square that highlights the current day.