When Did New York State Start Celebrating Thanksgiving?
In 1817, New York state started celebrating Thanksgiving day.
That year, DeWitt Clinton, the governor of the state decided to celebrate Thanksgiving annually.
However, in 1789, the state also observed it after the proclamation of President George Washington (It was a federal declaration). Washington didn’t declare it a holiday.
In 1830, the state legislature of New York officially granted celebrating the day as a state holiday every year.
It made New York the first state in the United States of America of making Thanksgiving a public holiday. Although, before the state, New England also observed it as a public holiday.
[Did You Know? Till 1941, The Date For Thanksgiving Celebration Was Still Unsteady. Americans Celebrated It On Different Dates. It Had To Depend Upon President’s Proclamation]
How Do People In New York Celebrate Thanksgiving Day?
Since 1941, people in the United States of America have been celebrating it on the fourth Thursday of November.
Along with other states, New York also enjoys the day as a federal holiday.
On this day schools, colleges, government offices, and even New York Stock Exchange, and other financial markets are closed in the state.
Apart from its core traditions, every year, a large parade is organized in the middle of New York City.
The parade is known as Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, first time organized in 1924.
The parade contains large balloons of famous cartoon characters, famous TV personalities, and different types of music.
It is also known as the world’s largest parade. However, New York was not the first American state to organize a parade on Thanksgiving.
In 1920, Philadelphia first organized a parade on Thanksgiving day.
Did You Know?
Sarah Josepha Hale was the American writer who convinced President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 to make Thanksgiving a national holiday.
Before her success, she tried more than 17 times (since 1847) to convince different US presidents. However, all her attempts failed till 1863.
In 1863, President Lincoln made it a national holiday making it the third federal holiday after President’s birthday and Independence day.
