Thanksgiving, a federal holiday, will be observed on Thursday, Nov. 28, this year.
The holiday began as a day of giving thanks for the blessings of the harvest and is celebrated in various forms around the world. Brazil, Canada, Germany and the Philippines are among the countries that celebrate Thanksgiving.
In America, the first Thanksgiving occurred in November 1621 when colonists and Native Americans gathered for a three-day feast.
Celebrations continued throughout the Colonies and during the early years of the United States. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation of Thanksgiving, marking the beginning of the holiday’s national recognition.
Today, Thanksgiving rituals include family meals, parades and televised football games.
Like Columbus Day, the holiday is not seen as a cause for celebration by all, as it is a reminder of the painful history of the mistreatment of Native Americans.
The Postal Service has commemorated Thanksgiving on a handful of stamps, including a 2001 release that shows a cornucopia and a 2009 set of four stamps that depict scenes from a Thanksgiving Day parade.