Thanksgiving (Noun)
Meaning 1
A short prayer of thanks before a meal; "their youngest son said grace".
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- She smiled as her father led them in a brief thanksgiving before they sat down to eat.
- Their guests were invited to join in a silent thanksgiving before the hostess served the first course.
- The children's teacher asked them to take turns leading the class in a morning thanksgiving.
- At every meal, their custom was for the eldest to say a short thanksgiving for the food they were about to eat.
- After a few moments of quiet, the family's matriarch began their traditional thanksgiving before carving the holiday ham.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Fourth Thursday in November in the United States; second Monday in October in Canada; commemorates a feast held in 1621 by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag.
Classification
Nouns denoting time and temporal relations.
Examples
- In the United States, Thanksgiving is traditionally celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November with family gatherings and festive meals.
- The modern Canadian Thanksgiving holiday, celebrated on the second Monday in October, is often seen as a time to appreciate the autumn harvest and spend time with loved ones.
- Many Americans observe Thanksgiving Day by attending church services and expressing gratitude for their blessings.
- The Wampanoag people played an integral role in the initial Thanksgiving feast, sharing their knowledge and expertise to help the Pilgrims adapt to their new environment.
- Historians often view the Wampanoag-Pilgrims Thanksgiving feast of 1621 as a rare instance of cooperation and celebration between European colonizers and Native American communities.