Thanksgiving
is a holiday celebrated in much of North America, generally observed as
an expression of gratitude, usually to God. The most common view of its
origin is that it was to give thanks to God for the bounty of the
autumn harvest. In the United States, the holiday is celebrated on the
fourth Thursday in November. In Canada, where the harvest generally ends
earlier in the year, the holiday is celebrated on the second Monday in
October, which is observed as Columbus Day or protested as Indigenous
Peoples Day in the United States.
Thanksgiving is traditionally
celebrated with a feast shared among friends and family. In the United
States, it is an important family holiday, and people often travel
across the country to be with family members for the holiday. The
Thanksgiving holiday is generally a "four-day" weekend in the United
States, in which Americans are given the relevant Thursday and Friday
off. Thanksgiving is almost entirely celebrated at home, unlike the
Fourth of July or Christmas, which are associated with a variety of
shared public experiences (fireworks, caroling, etc.)