Thanksgiving in the United States falls on the fourth Thursday of November, and it is a national holiday, often spreading over the entire weekend. It is the official kick-off to the American holiday season, which goes through New Year's Day. In other words, if you're overseas, don't expect much business to get done in America in the last five weeks of the year. Thanksgiving celebrations occur in most American households, where the focus is a large feast shared with friends and family. Roast turkey is a traditional meat dish with mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and cranberry sauce. Each family usually has unique dishes served only for this feast. If you're invited to share Thanksgiving, it is a big deal! Several traditions surround Thanksgiving Day. In New York City, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade occurs annually, and it is customary to play it in the background as the meal is prepared. At the White House, the President of the United States pardons a turkey, assuring it can freely roam farmland for the rest of its life: family-focused games and activities and American football games on television round out the standard fare. For Americans without friends or family to feast with, volunteering at local soup kitchens or hosting free dinners for the homeless is an everyday activity. Overseas, Americans tend to find each other and celebrate with people from their host countries. Many global restaurants serve Thanksgiving meals as well. HISTORY A Day of Thanksgiving in the United States was first proclaimed in 1789 by President George Washington. However, it would wait until 1863 to become a national holiday. At the time, President Abraham Lincoln decreed a National Day of Thanksgiving to unite the nation during the Civil War. Lincoln's objective in making the day national and secular was to create a holiday focused on what bound Americans to their families, communities, and as a nation rather than the politics, grievances, and agendas tearing them apart at the time. Each successive President continued to proclaim Thanksgiving annually until 1939. That year, President Franklin D. Roosevelt fixed Thanksgiving Day as the fourth Thursday in November. It has been celebrated as a national holiday on that day ever since. The theme for Thanksgiving commemorates the first harvest feast in North America between Europeans and Native Americans, which occurred over three days in October 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Without the help of Native Americans, the small cohort of ill-equipped European pilgrims would not have survived their first winter. CONTROVERSY Unfortunately, the two peoples' shared respect and assistance did not last. Between 1600 and 1900, Native Americans lost 90% of their population to various hazards directly attributable to the arrival of Europeans on their lands. In recent decades, advocates for and within the Native American community have taken issue with Thanksgiving, renaming it National Indigenous Peoples Day of Mourning and abdicating from participation. Additional awareness efforts include declaring November National American Indian Heritage Month to educate Americans of the harm and destruction wrought on indigenous people, beginning with the arrival of Columbus in October 1492.