On November 25, 2004, Americans will come together to celebrate Thanksgiving - a time to offer thanks and gather together as a family.  The first Thanksgiving in America was celebrated in 1621 by the Pilgrims to commemorate the harvest after a harrowing first winter in America, and finds its roots in the traditional English harvest festival.  Many of the images commonly associated with Thanksgiving find their origins in much older traditions of celebrating the autumn harvest.  For example, the cornucopia (a horn-shaped basket overflowing with fruits and vegetables) is a typical symbol of Thanksgiving abundance that dates back to ancient harvest festivals.  While Thanksgiving was celebrated on and off on various dates throughout the years it was not until 1789 that President Washington declared it a National Holiday and 1941 that the US Congress declared it to be the fourth Thursday in November which it remains today.

Today, Thanksgiving is a day celebrated with parades, American football and most importantly the Thanksgiving meal.  Reflective of its origins in the Harvest festivals, Thanksgiving menus usually include turkey, breadcrumb stuffing, cranberry sauce, squash, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie.  Thanksgiving is not associated with one particular religion or group; rather it is a national holiday celebrated by all.  So it will be, on November 25, 2004, that Americans as a country will gather around their Thanksgiving tables and give thanks for their blessings and those of their loved ones.