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Thanksgiving Day did not become an official holiday until Northerners dominated the Federal government. -

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Thanksgiving Day did not become an official holiday until Northerners dominated the Federal government. While sectional tensions prevailed in the mid-19th century, the editor of the popular magazine Godey' s Lady's Book, Sarah Josepha Hale, campaigned for a national Thanksgiving Day to promote unity. She finally won the support of President Abraham Lincoln. On October 3, 1863, during the Civil War, Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26.

The holiday was annually proclaimed by every president thereafter, and the date chosen, with few exceptions, was the last Thursday in November. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, however, attempted to extend the Christmas shopping season, which generally begins with the Thanksgiving holiday, and to boost the economy by moving the date back a week, to the third week in November. But not all states complied, and, after a joint resolution of Congress in 1941, Roosevelt issued a proclamation in 1942 designating the fourth Thursday in November (which is not always the last Thursday) as Thanksgiving Day.

As the country became more urban and family members began to live farther apart, Thanksgiving became a time to gather together. The holiday moved away from its religious roots to allow immigrants of every background to participate in a common tradition. Thanksgiving Day football games, beginning with Yale versus Princeton in 1876, enabled fans to add some rowdiness to the holiday. In the late 1800s, parades of costumed revellers became common. In 1920, Gimbel's department store in Philadelphia, staged a parade of about 50 people with Santa Claus at the rear of the procession. Since 1924, the annual Macy's parade in New York City has continued the tradition, with huge balloons since 1927. The holiday associated with Pilgrims and Native Americans has come to symbolize intercultural peace, America's opportunity for newcomers, and the sanctity of home and family.

Days of Thanksgiving in Canada also originated in the colonial period, arising from the same European traditions, in gratitude for safe journeys, peace and bountiful harvests. The earliest celebration was held in 1578, when an expedition led by Martin Frobisher held a ceremony in present-day Nunavut to give thanks for the safety of its fleet. In 1879, Parliament established a National Thanksgiving Day on November 6; the date has varied over the years. Since 1957, Thanksgiving Day has been celebrated in Canada on the second Monday in October.

How did Thanksgiving became more a time to gather together and less religious?

Options

  • The country became more urban

  • The family members began to live farther

  • Both the country became more urban and the family members began to live farther

  • None of the above

MCQ

Solution

Both the country became more urban and the family members began to live farther.

Explanation:

Thanksgiving became a time to join together as the country became increasingly metropolitan and family members began to live more apart, according to the third paragraph. The celebration strayed from its religious roots to allow immigrants from all walks of life to partake in a shared ritual.

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Reading Comprehension (Entrance Exam)
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