4 months and 1 days days until Thanksgiving!
Turkeys, harvest, and a big thanks to God come to mind when thinking of Thanksgiving. It is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year for some, but how and what is Thanksgiving is the real question. You are about to embark on a journey to find out its origins and how other nations outside of America rejoice in their Happy Thanksgiving celebr...
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Thanksgiving turkey
Let’s get everyone super excited about the biggest roast of the year by utilizing these exceptional Thanksgiving turkey photos ready to use in all aspects of design. From menus to event invitations, these high-resolution snaps will give your creations the edge.
Fall
Fill your themed designs in breathtaking color and romantic scenery using these stunning quality assured fall photos. Their aesthetic charm is perfect for making a feature on a website or social media post, generating attention for a product or service.
Thanksgiving dinner
Satisfy the appetite of your guests by featuring high-resolution Thanksgiving dinner photos on your impactful banner, seasonal posters, and menu designs. Filled with fresh-out-the-oven goodness, they will bring joy and comfort to your projects.
Corn
Corn is one of those foods that are always present in Thanksgiving dinners. How about making use of some excellent images of food to launch your Thanksgiving marketing campaigns? They are also helpful for restaurants and other food companies.
Thanksgiving background
Capture the attention of turkeys and humans alike with a flawless Thanksgiving background that will provide instant recognition for your overall design themes. Designs and images such as these will work to benefit your banner, poster, and invitation projects.
Thanksgiving invitation
A Thanksgiving party deserves a professional-looking invitation to lure in an energetic crowd. Take a look at these Thanksgiving invitation designs that not only look the part but are easily modified to adjust to your requirements.
Thanksgiving drawing
Filled with meticulous detail, these stunning Thanksgiving drawing visuals may be the very thing that tips the balance in your themed projects. Such a human touch will gain a profound connection with your audience, generating intrigue for your latest Instagram reel.
Thanksgiving card
Surprise friends and relatives with these thoughtful Thanksgiving card designs. They are a fantastic way of expressing love and devotion to those close. Pick out the style you want and customize them for a priceless reaction. Spread the good vibes this Thanksgiving.
Symbols
Turkey
Pie
Pumpkin
Cornucopia
The Thanksgiving food, turkey, is the most famous of all American Thanksgiving symbols. Even though historians are coming to the conclusion that turkey was not eaten at the first pilgrim Thanksgiving, it has somehow made its way onto the dinner table and made a big song and dance about it. The reasons it has become such an icon are simply down to the fact that turkeys are native to North America, sometimes even found in people’s backyards. It became a national staple and a symbol of American culture, breaking off from the old British traditions they wanted to leave behind. It may have even taken some time before the turkey became the symbol we observe today.
The all-American pie is a must-have in your Thanksgiving harvest feast. Brought over from the pie-loving country, Great Britain, it made its way to the new land where it was loved just as much. Since baking cakes were quite a way off, with the lack of baking powder, pie was very welcome. So it seems America loved pastry even before America came to be. Of course, it then ties in with Thanksgiving in the form of pumpkin pie, the most famous of all pies when it comes to the harvest feast. This iconic symbol of warm sweetness is enough to lure any American to the dining table, finding purpose in an invitation, events poster, or Thanksgiving menu. Is that an earthquake? Or 500 million American tummy’s rumbling.
It might surprise you that pumpkins are actually a fruit! It is also the native fruit of New England, the final destination of William Bradford and his settlers. The significance of this orange juicy delicacy comes from the first Thanksgiving the pilgrims shared with the Wampanoag people. It was also a fruit introduced by the natives when the pilgrims first landed on their shores. Therefore, it symbolizes the connection the European settlers once had with the indigenous people and the fact that it is tasty! This symbol will make a striking feature in your Thanksgiving creations, using its strong orange hue to your advantage.
The cornucopia is a powerful and beautiful symbol traditionally used in Greek and Roman mythology to demonstrate the abundance of food, prosperity, and good fortune. Known also as the horn of plenty, it represents the blessings and richness of life. In design scenarios, the cornucopia can be used to suggest a warm, inviting atmosphere, and its nostalgic symbolism makes it a perfect decoration for Thanksgiving celebrations. The use of a cornucopia in a Thanksgiving design could evoke feelings of gratitude and appreciation, drawing people together and inspiring a sense of warmth and comfort. With its power to evoke emotions, it is no wonder that the cornucopia remains an iconic image in design and a potent symbol of hope and good fortune.
America loves bold defining colors such as Maroon! This strong, dark red hue will play its part in motivating your Thanksgiving design projects, providing stability to the elements it supports. The psychology behind Maroon plays its part as it signifies control, responsibility, and thoughtfulness, a fitting description that will support the message of Thanksgiving. Its bold flavor will do well to cut through any background noise, adding definition to featuring elements such as typography, vector design, or character drawings. Bring your Thanksgiving colors to life using this defining color choice!
Thanksgiving day has never been so interesting. Here we learn about the history of Thanksgiving and find out why Thanksgiving is celebrated, with the claims of different origins, backed by incredible stories of bravery and the outright kindness of strangers. These stories have led to a series of events that will forever be interpreted across the American dinner table on the fourth Thursday of every November for generations to come. It is a day that brings all Americans together with a big focus on the relationship between the indigenous people of America and the first Pilgrims that landed on new soil. Perhaps the story holds more value than gratitude for a successful harvest. Let's find out!
Juan de Oñate’s expedition
Twenty years before the famous feast in Plymouth, Mexico was under Spanish rule in the 1500s. A wealthy, Mexican-born Spaniard, by the name of Juan de Oñate took it upon himself to lead an expedition into what is now Texas. It took years of persuasion, but in 1595, King Philip ll finally gave in, providing Oñate the permission he desperately needed to plan for his expedition. In 1598, Oñate and his followers set off through challenging terrain, crossing the Chihuahuan Desert. Running out of supplies and under the blistering sun, many explorers didn’t make it. At this critical time, the Rio Grande appeared ahead of them. They had made it! Reaching an area near today’s El Paso, Oñate felt the need to celebrate. A feast of meat and fish ensued, whereby the local Mansos tribe was invited to join, praying together for an end to the drought and celebrating a successful claim. Whether it is the first Thanksgiving is up for debate. However, it was the first celebration between Europeans and native Indians.
Natives and pilgrims sit down at the table
In the 1600s, British colonials were making claims of the new land in North America. In September 1620, a relatively small vessel named the Mayflower set off from Plymouth, England. Onboard were around 100 souls, many of which were religious separatists looking to practice their faith freely, while others were seeking a new life of prosperity, claiming land of their own. The Pilgrims to whom they would be known took to establishing their own settlement naming it Plymouth. How original! The Pilgrims suffered badly through their first winter, some dying from exposure and disease. As March approached, the pilgrims ventured inland, where they were greeted by a native American of the Abenaki tribe, who surprised the settlers by speaking English. Returning with another English-speaking native named Squanto, a relationship was formed, exchanging methods to cultivate their new land, growing corn, collecting maple sap, and even fishing. Things went so great they even established an alliance with another local tribe called the Wampanoag. The final nail that secured the bromance was the day the corn was harvested. To say thanks, William Bradford organized a harvest feast, and the natives sat down with them to celebrate the harvest, thus dedicating a day, giving thanks to the Lord after reaping the fruits of his labor, the first Thanksgiving.
George Washington announced that Thanksgiving would be on November 26th
In August 1789, Months after becoming president of the United States, George Washington sent a top-secret document to James Madison, asking for guidance on how to present to the house of representatives the idea of a national day of thanksgiving. Towards the end of September 1789, a proposal was put forward to address the house of representatives on the subject of a national Thanksgiving day. And with that, a committee was assembled to present the resolution before the president, George Washington. Within days, the president made his first Thanksgiving proclamation announcing to the people of the United States that Thursday, the 26th of November, the American people will celebrate Thanksgiving as a nation. However, this wasn’t the first time Geroge Washington held big Thanksgiving parties. During his command of the army, he held Thanksgiving feasts among his men, thanking God for victories.
Roosevelt announces Thanksgiving on November 4th, Thursday
It’s 1939, and America has just suffered ten years of the great depression. The president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was faced with a damaged economy. Looking for alternative ways to boost the economy, he made a hasty move by moving the date of Thanksgiving a week earlier, setting the date on the 23rd of November. Thanksgiving has always been the starting gun for early Christmas shopping. Roosevelt’s theory was to move Thanksgiving forward a week, thus generating Billions of dollars for the economy. This split the country in half. Democrats marginally favored the swap with 52% voting for, while republicans hated the idea with 79% voting against. With so much confusion as to when Thanksgiving would be, jokes were hitting the headlines, with some people celebrating Thanksgiving and the others celebrating Franksgiving! In 1942, when America joined the Second World War, Franklin D. Roosevelt finally put an end to the provocation, announcing that Thanksgiving will land on the fourth Thursday of November. This has stayed true to this day.
It might surprise you that other countries around the world also celebrate Thanksgiving. Celebrating a successful harvest has been, and always will be, important to any nation. We all need to eat, right? Let’s dig a little deeper and find out who celebrates Thanksgiving around the world, sowing seeds as we go!
The biggest of all Thanksgiving’s. The travel chaos, the huge feast and a few prayers for the all mighty. Celebrated on the fourth Thursday of every November, it is a national holiday and a chance for Americans to travel far and wide to meet up with their families and friends. You can imagine the travel chaos that would ensue, with packed trains, congested highways, and the scramble for air tickets. But it’s all worth it! Thanksgiving for Americans is a time for families to set up the dinner table for the greatest family feast of the year. Preparing the stuffed turkey roast, cranberry sauce, and gravy is no easy task. The cooking can take the best part of a day, and the bigger the family, the bigger the turkey! After all, the national holiday is about giving thanks for the harvest and being grateful in general for everything Americans take for granted. Religion plays a big role in the celebration too. Thanking God for everything he has provided plays a significant role for millions of Americas Christians.
Thanksgiving the Canadian way. Optional turkey roast and a day of sports. Canadians also like to celebrate Thanksgiving. Set on the second Monday of each October, it marks the beginning of Autumn and a celebration of a good harvest. However, these folk tend to celebrate in a lower key. You won't find half the population rushing to the airports here! Canadian Thanksgiving origins are not too dissimilar from their American neighbors. In 1578 an English explorer Martin Frobisher and his crew were expanding territory into the far north of Canada, Nunavut. The perilous journey had them facing unimaginable terrain, scary animals, and blistering weather. Canada’s first Thanksgiving was to feast in the name of God, who granted them safe passage against all odds. Today, Canadians celebrate with an optional holiday. Families who have kept to this tradition take to the kitchen, cooking up a knockout turkey roast for the entire family. It is also a time to enjoy sport, as Canada’s football stars take to the field as the four CFL (Canadian Football League) teams battle it out for the Thanksgiving title.
The Thanksgiving replica. Brazil takes to replicating America's version of Thanksgiving, but it falls on deaf ears. Does Brazil celebrate Thanksgiving? For the few who celebrate Thanksgiving in Brazil, it is a time to focus on the prayers to God, showing gratitude for the year's harvest. It was August 1949 when the Brazilian ambassador returned from a trip to the United States. He was in total awe of the lengths America went to in celebrating Thanksgiving and how it brought God so close to their people that he wanted the same for his. The president of Brazil, Gaspar Dutra, honored the idea of replicating Thanksgiving, establishing a national day for the occasion on the fourth Thursday of November, just like the Americans. Today Brazil doesn't take much notice of Thanksgiving, but the people who do recognize the day, dedicate it to prayer, heading to church to be close to God. The tradition of eating stuffed roast turkey is also practiced. Although, with the lack of cranberries in Brazil, they take to using jaboticaba fruits instead, a Brazilian twist. Brazilians haven't totally forgotten their appreciation for the harvest. They just have a dedicated festival for it called Festa Junina. A harvest festival is celebrated in June.
An ancient tradition. Today’s ancient Thanksgiving party is still in full swing! Celebrated on the first Sunday of October, Erntedankfest is a huge nationwide festival celebrating the year’s successful harvest and giving thanks to God. However, the day is not a public holiday. The date is special as it is immediately after Michaelmas on the 29th of September, the date by which harvest must be completed. Such celebrations across Europe have been ongoing since before Christianity. So to continue with these ancient traditions, the people of Germany get together in a festive spirit. One thing you may notice first is the parades that course their way through the German streets. The bigger the town, the bigger the parade. A harvest queen named the Erntekonigin, wearing the Harvest Crown made of wheat accepts gifts of the harvest. Churches are a big focus for the day, whereby local churchgoers attend a sermon delivered from an altar decorated richly in harvest decorations. The atmosphere hits its peak with folk music, dancing, and fancy traditional attire. All this extravaganza hits a climax with a firework celebration lighting up the early Autumn night sky.
The Shinto Thanksgiving ritual. The reading of the Evening Rites and the thanking to the Shinto Gods. The 23rd of November is a national holiday in Japan, celebrating the year’s harvest. Japan holds an intricate and highly respected Shinto ritual that is one of the most important in all of Japan. The emperor of Japan is to lead the country by performing the Evening Rites of the Niinamesai. Wearing a ceremonial robe made of layers of silk, the emperor proceeds to a sacred temple where the ritual is performed. Lit only by candlelight, the visual representation is of the purest of sights. The emperor expresses gratitude to the Gods for a successful harvest with offerings such as Sake, the national drink made from freshly harvested rice. Although the day has some religious significance, it is a day for everyone, no matter what religion. After the Second World War, the day was rebranded as Labor Thanksgiving day. In light of Japan’s new constitution protecting workers’ rights and human rights in general.
