Google is celebrating Thanksgiving 2024 with an animated doodle. The day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States when families and friends get together to enjoy dinner and spend quality time with each other. Turkey is a popular dish to serve on the occasion, and Google doodle reflects this spirit by depicting six people struggling to hold a giant turkey balloon. The balloon is used in place of one of the O's in Google. It also has a detailed page explaining the importance of Thanksgiving.
"On Thanksgiving, Americans spend time reflecting on and sharing what they are grateful for. Some people choose to spend the day organizing food drives, charity runs and free dinners to give back to their communities," says the text on Google doodle page.
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"Food is at the heart of Thanksgiving celebrations. Staple dishes include turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and more. Towns and communities across the country also host lively parades filled with catchy music and impressive floats," it adds before wishing "Happy Thanksgiving" to users.
The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 as a harvest feast that brought together 53 pilgrims and 90 native Americans.
Describing the history of Thanksgiving, Encyclopaedia Britannica said that beginning 1668, it was celebrating on November 25 for a few years. In 1789, then US President George Washington made November 26 as the official day of Thanksgiving, but the date again changed.
The last Thursday in November became the norm in 1863 with a declaration by President Abraham Lincoln, as per Encyclopaedia Britannica.
The battle over Thanksgiving date finally settled when Congress passed a law in December 1941 that made the fourth Thursday of November the official day.
