We were taught that “Thanksgiving Day” is the day when the pilgrims celebrated and offered food to Indians. If it wasn’t for the help of the native Indians the Pilgrims could not have survived in the new colony.
As the legendary Pilgrims sailed aboard the Mayflower, leaving behind their motherland for their new life to avoid religious persecution from the English Church, they landed on Plymouth Rock after a long hard 66 days of rough sailing. Their first winter was devastating and in less than a year they were down to half their people. The Indians taught the Pilgrims how to grow crops and their first fall harvest was very successful. That was the year 1621, which was known to have been the first Thanksgiving celebration. Actually the feast was more of a traditional English harvest festival than a true "thanksgiving" observance even though it lasted for three days. However, this event did not start the Thanksgiving tradition. In fact, the occasion was not called "Thanksgiving" and the Pilgrims did not even celebrate it the following year. What we think of, as "the first Thanksgiving" was actually quite different from our modern celebration.
Although, the tradition of the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving is steeped in myth and legend, this celebration of thanks has held great meaning and importance over time. As many incidents occurred over the years, President Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving an annual holiday in 1863.The date has changed a couple of times and most recently by President Roosevelt, who set it up for one week before the second to-last Thursday of November to create a longer Christmas shopping season to boost the economy and to aid the country out of the Depression. But because of the public uproar against this decision it was changed back to its original date two years later. Therefore, in 1941 Thanksgiving was finally sanctioned by Congress as a legal holiday, as the fourth Thursday in November.
Today, Thanksgiving Day is usually celebrated to bring families and friends together for a large meal or dinner with the traditional meal of turkey, cranberry sauce, corn and pumkin pie. Thanksgiving holiday weekend has turned in to one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Since Thanksgiving is a four-day or five-day weekend vacation for schools and businesses, people have been using this short holiday to travel around to wonderful places.
Now, this year, we would like you to take this opportunity to see and discover how other Asian countries celebrate Thanksgiving Day and experience one of the wonderful destinations in Asia with us on a hassle free vacation plan.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
There is a minimum passenger requirement for each tour. If the tour you have selected does not meet the minimum participants, the tour price will be adjusted accordingly but will not be cancelled. You will be notified minimum of one month prior to the departure if any changes or adjustments are made to the program.
Other than the group tours designed, we can arrange individual WAGAMAMA Tours to any destination you select- such as.SHANGHAI-Once known as the Paris of the East and still a shopper’s paradise. And it’s the most perfect shopping destination for Christmas.
SAIPAN or GUAM- located in the Pacific Ocean, west of the International dateline and just few hours away by flight lie the two tropical resort islands.
KYOTO-Take a bullet train to the most historical city of Japan. Here is the place you will able to see and enjoy the Japanese heritage.