As we know, Thanksgiving Day in America is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.  One of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the U.S. was thought to be held in 1621 when the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast.  Thereafter, for more than two centuries, Thanksgiving feasts were celebrated by individual colonies and states which were prompted by good harvests.  It wasn’t until 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.  Although Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday, before it originated in the U.S., there were harvest festivals celebrated around the world. 

• The Greek Civilization celebrated Thesmophoria which is a 3-day harvest festival of the ancient Greeks.  It was celebrated in the autumn as well to honor Demeter, the Greek Goddess of Food Grains.
• The Roman Civilization had a similar celebration in which they honored Ceres, the Goddess of Corn.  The celebration included music, parades, games, sports and a feast.
• The ancient Chinese held a harvest called Chung Ch’ui in celebration of the harvest moon.
• The Jewish Culture celebrates a harvest festival called Sukkot.  This is celebrated by building a hut of branches called a Sukkot where the families gather and eat their meals beneath the night sky for eight days.
• The ancient Egyptians celebrated the harvest festival in honor of Min, the God of vegetation and fertility.  Unlike the other festivals though, their festival was celebrated in the spring time, which is the Egyptian’s harvest season.

Many cultures have their own unique traditions for celebrating the harvest season but the common themes in all of the harvest festivals are gratitude, being surrounded by family and friends and great feasts.

Everyone at New Empire Group, Ltd. would like to wish you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Sources: History.com; Wikipedia.org

**Please note our office will be closing at 12 p.m. Wednesday, November 21^st 2012.  We will resume regular business hours Monday, November 26^th 2012.

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