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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Americans have celebrated a lot of Thanksgivings since President Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving in 1863. But the holiday has always been mixed with some tension.

Thanksgiving is often considered the site of the first cultural war because it contains both a narrative of the birth of freedom and democracy as well as an account of racism, mistreatment of Native Americans, and conflict.



Today's Random Fact:

The Pilgrim's thanksgiving feast in 1621 occurred sometime between September 21 and November 1. It lasted three days and included 50 surviving pilgrims and approximately 90 Wampanoag Indians, including Chief Massasoit. Their menu differed from modern Thanksgiving dinners and included berries, shellfish, boiled pumpkin, and deer.

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Bonus Fact:

Held every year on the island of Alcatraz since 1975, "Unthanksgiving Day" commemorates the survival of Native Americans following the arrival and settlement of Europeans in the Americas.