It's not a holiday we celebrate here in England, but we still ask, what is it and why have we adopted Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales which follow the holiday?
So what is Thanksgiving? Well, Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated by Americans. It marks the day they are thankful for the settlers from England landing in America and being taught to live off the land by the Natives.
Over the 20th century the holiday was turned more and more into time to spend with family, give thanks and eat amazing food. The 21st Century has seen the holiday turn into a time for shoppers to save lots of money in the sales before the Christmas shopping rush. Thanksgiving day is always held on the last/fourth Thursday of November and Black Friday and Cyber Monday follow that day.
The history of Thanksgiving:
In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.
In 1789 George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation by the national government of the United States; in it, he called upon Americans to express their gratitude for the happy conclusion to the country’s war of independence and the successful ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
In many American households, the Thanksgiving celebration has lost much of its original religious significance; instead, it now centers on cooking and sharing a bountiful meal with family and friends. Parades have also become an integral part of the holiday in cities and towns across the United States.
[Source: History.com]
Black Friday & Cyber Monday
The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday. As retailers began to realise they could draw big crowds by discounting prices, Black Friday became the day to shop, even better than those last minute Christmas sales. Black Friday is a long day, with many retailers opening up at 5 am or even earlier to hordes of people waiting anxiously outside the windows. There are numerous doorbuster deals and loss leaders – prices so low the store may not make a profit - to entice shoppers.
Cyber Monday is the following Monday, now deemed the busiest and most profitable day for online stores. Online retailers cottoned on to the Black Friday sales, using the catchy phrase it's became huge in the States and has found its way over to the UK.
Keep your eyes on the prize and be sure to check out our Facebook, Twitter and blog this Friday for all our Black Friday and Cyber Monday bouquet offers.
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