With the approach of Thanksgiving, we at Creative Connections would first and foremost like to extend our gratitude and appreciation to all of our friends–partner teachers, administrators, participant students, company sponsors, supporters and donors (…the list goes on!) for your support over the years and working with us to pursue our mission.

“…I also included a Pilgrim because we learned about Pilgrims and their first Thanksgiving. I am depicting the value of gratitude. I am grateful for my family and grateful for the wonderful food.”

Brief History:

1621: The Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations.

1789: President George Washington proclaimed the very first national day of Thanksgiving it to be “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer,” to especially give thanks for the opportunity to form a new nation and the establishment of a new constitution.

1863: President Abraham Lincoln, in the midst of the Civil War, proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November, as a day of “thanksgiving and praise.”

1924: Macy’s Department store held its first New York City Thanksgiving Day Parade.

1941: Congress passed an official proclamation declaring Thanksgiving would be observed as a legal holiday on the fourth Thursday of November every year.

Today, Thanksgiving is largely commemorated throughout the United States with gatherings of family and friends over a large feast. It is common for declarations of gratitude to be shared before eating, and for attendees to contribute to the feast by bringing dishes such as potatoes, stuffing, vegetables, salad, bread, pumpkin pie, and other accompanying foods to compliment the turkey meal.

 

“In the scene, a family is sitting down to a Thanksgiving meal. The meal consists of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, bread, salad, mashed potatoes, and gravy.”

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade continues to attract millions of spectators who line the streets of New York City at various points of the 2.5-mile route to watch the festivities. The parade includes live musical performances (ranging from pop singers to high school marching bands), elaborate floats and large balloons depicting movie and cartoon characters and even celebrities.

“My tradition is watching the Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City. In my scene they are holding a Snoopy balloon as they are walking down the street.”

“In my scene two people are interacting while they are holding Minnie and Mickey Mouse balloons. Each year of Thanksgiving Macy’s Department Store a big parade in New York City.

Sources:

The History of Thanksgiving http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving

The First Thanksgiving http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/history/first-thanksgiving/

Thanksgiving http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving

By Elizabeth Kirst

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