What is Thanksgiving and why don't we celebrate it in Brazil?

Do you know what Thanksgiving is, one of the main North American celebrations?

If you've ever watched a movie or series set in the United States in the period leading up to Christmas, you've probably noticed that they celebrate a holiday there called Thanksgiving. 

But what does this celebration mean? And why hasn’t this holiday crossed borders – like Halloween, for example – and isn’t it celebrated in our country and in so many others? 

This is the topic we are going to talk about today.

Throughout the text, you will learn about the origins of Thanksgiving and understand all the commotion that occurs on the date.

What is Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is one of the most famous and important holidays in the United States and Canada. Celebrated every last Thursday in November, the holiday is even more famous and celebrated than New Year's, for example.

At its core, the holiday's main purpose is to celebrate gratitude, remembering everything that happened throughout the year.

Because of all this tradition involving gratitude, it is quite common for Thanksgiving to be associated with family.

Therefore, it is quite common for people to travel to celebrate the date with their families.

Large dinners are also held to celebrate Thanksgiving.

In this respect, the event is very similar to the Christmas dinner we have here, with turkey and everything. 

And, after Thanksgiving, Americans prepare to take advantage of the traditional Black Friday discounts, another mega event that takes place the day after the holiday.

The origin of Thanksgiving?

Although it is a very important date in the United States, the origin of Thanksgiving was in England. The holiday was brought by English colonists, at the time when they began to colonize the United States.

Although it is not known for sure which was the first year this date was celebrated in the United States, it is believed that the tradition was celebrated for the first time in the mid-1620s, with the aim of celebrating a good corn harvest.

And, although English colonists were mainly responsible for 'exporting' the celebration from England to the United States, today England does not celebrate Thanksgiving as much as Americans do.

Why don't we celebrate Thanksgiving here in Brazil?

Just like so many other holidays and celebrations that were started and/or became popular in the United States, it was to be expected that Brazil would also adopt this holiday, right? 

But that's not what happened. Unlike celebrations and events like Halloween and Black Friday, Thanksgiving has not been 'embraced' by other countries.

But the date ended up remaining strong only in the United States. And there is an explanation for this.

As we mentioned in the first topic, the holiday originated due to the country's colonization. And since Brazil was colonized by Portugal – and not by England – this tradition ended up not being spread here.

But still, Thanksgiving doesn't go unnoticed around here. 

Although there is not all the commotion or the holiday itself, the date is still remembered and celebrated by some audiences.

Among them are language schools that teach English, companies that are of American origin and some families that follow the Protestant religion – widely followed in the United States. 

Thanksgiving and pop culture in Brazil

Although it is not a very widespread date and many Brazilians do not even know exactly what Thanksgiving is, thanks to films, series and social media, the holiday has become a little better known to us.

Just like Christmas, several series have special episodes that are focused on celebrating the holiday. 

Among them, we have Friends, Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

And these are just some of the most famous ones that have special episodes about the commemorative date. 

Fun Facts About Thanksgiving

Now that you've discovered what Thanksgiving is and its origins, it's time to learn some interesting facts about the North American holiday.

Turkey is one of the big stars of the holiday

As already mentioned, although there are other types of dishes during dinner, the main star of the holiday is the turkey. Therefore, it is estimated that around 50 million turkeys are consumed during this date.

So much so that, in addition to Thanksgiving, the holiday is also called Turkey Day in some places.

Parades everywhere

The success of the holiday is so traditional for Americans that they take the date very seriously! Proof of this is that the traditional Thanksgiving Day parades are huge events that attract millions of visitors.

One of the most famous is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which takes place in New York City. 

This parade features several floats and gigantic balloons representing several famous figures in the country.

The event is so important that it has become a kind of milestone that symbolizes the beginning of the holiday season in the country.

Conclusion

Did you enjoy learning a little more about this special date? Although it is not celebrated here, it is always nice to acquire new knowledge and learn a little more about other cultures.

Plus, now that you know more about the date, you'll understand the topic better when you hear about Thanksgiving in an upcoming movie or series, or even for a future trip there!

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