Kuiper is thankful for turkey dogs. Oh, and you!!
History of Thanksgiving courtesy of @alfrescodog, shared with permission! If you like Kuiper’s account, you’ll probably like his, so check him out!
“For many years, Thanksgiving Day was appointed and observed on different dates. It was President Abraham Lincoln who, in 1863, proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November. That tradition lasted until 1939.”
“November had five Thursdays that year, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the second to last Thursday as Thanksgiving. The country was still struggling against the Great Depression, and the statistics showed that most people did not start their Christmas shopping until after Thanksgiving.”
“The change was meant to give merchants a more extended period to sell their goods, hoping to increase profits and spending, and help bring the country out of the Depression. That change proved to be extremely controversial. Thousands of letters poured into the White House. Some were pleased with the decision, while others complained vigorously.”
“On November 23, 1939, Roosevelt carved the turkey at the annual Thanksgiving Dinner and wished all Americans across the country a Happy Thanksgiving. However, many Americans were not observing Thanksgiving on the same day as the President. Half the country celebrated a ‘Democratic Thanksgiving,’ (‘Franksgiving’) as some called it, while the other half celebrated a ‘Republican Thanksgiving’ one week later. And since Governors declared one or the other, it meant families in one state did not have the same day off as their family members in another state. Many families were unable to celebrate Thanksgiving together.”
“On December 26, 1941, a law was passed to ensure the fourth Thursday of November as the unified Thanksgiving Day for all Americans, and we hope every American can celebrate a unified Thanksgiving today.”
Original post: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqfx9H3jfBK/