The Origin:
Thanksgiving Day, annual national holiday in the United States and Canada celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the past year. Americans generally believe that their Thanksgiving is modeled on a 1621 harvestfeast shared by the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people. The American holiday is particularly rich in legend and symbolism, and the traditional fare of the Thanksgiving meal typically includes turkey, bread stuffing, potatoes, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. With respect to vehicular travel, the holiday is often the busiest of the year, as family members gather with one another. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on Thursday, November 24, 2022.
Plymouth’s Thanksgiving began with a few colonists going out “fowling,” possibly for turkeys but more probably for the easier prey of geese and ducks, since they “in one day killed as much as…served the company almost a week.” Next, 90 or so Wampanoag made a surprise appearance at the settlement’s gate, doubtlessly unnerving the 50 or so colonists. Nevertheless, over the next few days the two groups socialized without incident. The Wampanoag contributed venison to the feast, which included the fowl and probably fish, eels, shellfish, stews, vegetables, and beer. Since Plymouth had few buildings and manufactured goods, most people ate outside while sitting on the ground or on barrels with plates on their laps. The men fired guns, ran races, and drank liquor, struggling to speak in broken English and Wampanoag. This was a rather disorderly affair, but it sealed a treaty between the two groups that lasted until King Philip’s War (1675–76), in which hundreds of colonists and thousands of Native Americans lost their lives.
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.
Today in the town there are several restaurant that are providing the thanksgiving meal at American tourists, students and workers that are living in Florence today.
Here we have a list that are organizing something for this 24th November.
Ristorante Accademia
Ristorante Accademia (piazza San Marco 7R) on November 24 and 25.
reserve your place early by calling +39 055 217343. 40 euro per person.
http://www.ristoranteaccademia.it/it/
Melaleuca
Melaleuca (lungarno delle Grazie, 18)
Pick up is available 10am-7pm on the 24th and 25th.
Dine in and takeaway cost 45 euro per person or 16 euro for children aged 4-10. Orders need to be in by Saturday, November 19.
https://consolepsp.com/melaleuca-bakery-bistrot
The Place
The Place (piazza Santa Maria Novella 7)
The traditional turkey course. 90 euro.
https://www.theplacefirenze.com/en/best-kitchen-bar-florence
La Loggia
The Presidents of the Tuscan American Association are hosting a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on November 24 at 7:30pm.
La Loggia in Piazzale Michelangelo with a cost of 60 euro per person. If you would like to attend, email davis@texnet.it or info@studiomancianti.it by November 21.
Pint of View
Join Pint of View (Borgo Tegolaio 17R) at 6pm on the 24th for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
Harry’s Bar
Harry’s Bar The Garden at Sina Villa Medici, Autograph Collection (via Il Prato 42) is offering a Thanksgiving menu on the 24th, for 55 euro per person.
https://www.sinahotels.com/en/h/sina-villa-medici-florence/
Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe Florence (via dei Brunelleschi 1)
Available from 12 noon to 10pm, the Thanksgiving meal costs 26.40 euro per person.
https://www.hardrockcafe.com/location/florence/
Free Walking Tour
If you want have a nice experience and visit Florence with all this artworks Brunelleschi Dome Signoria square, with its majestic Michelangelo’s David. To see old Bridge and Pitti Place come with us for a walking tour in Florence. Totally free for all our friends from Canada and USA.
Book here in our website. https://www.florencefreetours.com/
