HowThanksgiving Became a National Holiday SARAH HALE
AN ACT OF GRATITUDE OR A HOLLOW GESTURE?
Thanksgiving is one of the most popular holidays celebrated throughout the United States. One of the first documented Thanksgiving celebrations took place in 1621 when Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared a feast together. But the banquet, which celebrated the colonists’ first successful harvest, wasn’t just one large meal, nor did it last for only one day; in fact, the feast lasted for three days.
Say Thank You Like You Mean It
Thanksgiving is a time to express your gratitude to the people in your life. During this time of year, plenty of companies talk about how thankful they are for their clients. But more often than not, to those clients, words of thanks feel like just another sales gimmick. If you want to show your clients how much they mean to you, here are a few ways you can express that thanks authentically. Send aThank-You Note Getting a letter in the mail is a nice feeling. Taking the time to send a client a handwritten letter is the kind of pleasant surprise that really makes someone feel good. Obviously, a handwritten note will take more time to craft than an email, so it’s okay to send fewer notes in order to really make an impact. Find some tips for writing awesome thank-you notes at Helpscout.net/blog/ how-to-write-a-killer-thank-you-note. Give the Gift of Food We all need to eat, so what better way to say thank you than with a sweet treat? You may not be aware of any unique dietary restrictions your client may have, so it’s best to play it safe. A tin of cookies or some peppermint bark will delight almost anyone, but if your client is a fitness company, they may prefer a healthier treat, like a fruit basket. Donate to a Client’s Favorite Charity A great way to show that you care is by helping a client give to their favorite charity or cause. If you happen to know a charity near and dear to their heart, you can make a surprise donation in their name, or you can reach out and ask them directly. It’s the season of giving, after all! The best way to make your thank-you feel authentic is to genuinely be authentic. Yes, an unexpected gesture can reflect well on your company and encourage clients to talk you up to their friends and family, but potential referrals should be a perk of giving back, not the main goal. Practice genuine gratitude this Thanksgiving, and it will be well-received.
In later years,Thanksgiving also lasted for longer than a single meal. During the time of the American Revolution, the Continental Congress chose several days throughout the year to celebrate giving thanks.Then, in 1789, George Washington made the U.S. national government’s first Thanksgiving proclamation. He used this to speak to his fellow American citizens about the Revolution’s satisfactory conclusion and encouraged them to show their thanks for the freedoms they gained. Thanksgiving became a national holiday more than 200 years after its first celebration. It gained this status largely due to the persistence of a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale. Hale was a successful magazine editor, prolific writer of novels and poems, and author of the famous nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” which was first published in her 1830 collection entitled “Poems for Our Children.” In 1827, Hale began a campaign to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. For the next 36 years, she wrote numerous editorials and countless letters to state and federal officials expressing her desire that it gain official status. In 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln finally declared it a national holiday, hoping that it would help heal the wounds of the country. Lincoln decided that the holiday would take place on the last Thursday of November. It was celebrated on that day until 1939, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving a week earlier in the hopes of increasing retail sales during the Great Depression. However, this plan was very unpopular, and in 1941, the president reluctantly signed a bill making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November. Without the efforts of Sarah Hale, we might not have the pleasure of the Thanksgiving feast we know and love to this day.This year, give thanks for family, good food, and the resolve of one woman who recognized the importance of Thanksgiving as a national holiday.
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