Origin and history of Thanksgiving

The history of Thanksgiving dates back to 1621, when a meeting was held between the Wampanoag tribe and the Pilgrims in the Plymouth Colony in what is now Massachusetts. These pilgrims came to America in search of religious freedom and had to face a tough first year due to food shortages and adverse weather conditions. With the Wampanoag tribe, they learned to cultivate these new lands for themselves and hunt for what they needed to survive.

The first Thanksgiving was a celebration of the harvest and gratitude because they were able to overcome the difficulties of the first year. For three days, the pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe joined together in a harvest festival and shared the food prepared among themselves.

That first celebration in Plymouth laid the foundations for what later became one of the most popular traditions in the United States. But it was in the 19th century that it began to take hold as a national and annual holiday, in particular through the efforts of activist and writer Sarah Josepha Hale, who promoted the idea of ​​a national Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving Day in the United States

In the midst of the Civil War, in 1863, then President Abraham Lincoln officially proclaimed Thanksgiving Day as a day of national thanksgiving. He established that it be celebrated on the last Thursday of November. The president's apparent purpose was to unite the country in those moments of division and intense conflict, highlighting the importance of unity and peace.

During Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration in 1941, the Congress of the Republic ratified that Thanksgiving Day be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Since then, Thanksgiving Day has been celebrated throughout the United States.

Thanksgiving in other countries

The political and cultural influence of the United States has made it possible for this tradition to spread to many countries, but each of them has found its way to celebrate it. From family dinners to festivals in urban and rural communities, Thanksgiving is the opportunity to give thanks for life, food, and togetherness, transcending cultures and generations.

Thanksgiving in Peru: a day of gratitude and connection with the Earth

Peru doesn’t traditionally celebrate Thanksgiving as it’s known in the United States, but the idea of giving thanks is deeply rooted in Andean culture. In Cusco and other regions, ceremonies honoring Pachamama, or Mother Earth, have been practiced for centuries. These rituals, which involve offerings like fruits, grains, and coca leaves, are a way to show gratitude for harvests, health, and prosperity. Today, these traditions are often shared with visitors, especially during treks to Machu Picchu along the Inca Trail or Salkantay route.

Interestingly, Peru recently introduced an official Thanksgiving Day. In July 2024, Congress approved a law declaring July 30th as “Thanksgiving Day in Peru.” This day is celebrated as a Christian holiday, focusing on gratitude and reflection. The celebration often involves local evangelical churches and builds on a tradition established in 2010, when a Thanksgiving Ceremony became part of the President’s National Holiday activities.

The Inca Trail and Machu Picchu: A Gratitude Tour in the Sacred Land

This tour is an incomparable combination of living culture, beautiful landscapes, and an unforgettable adventure before reaching the wonder of the world that is Machu Picchu. A tour of the Sacred Valley or Sacred Land allows you to learn about what the glorious Inca Empire was like. You will pass through Chinchero, where the palace of Tupac Inca Yupanqui was located. In this town, you will be able to appreciate its beautiful textiles.

In the impressive archaeological complex of Pisaq, you will visit the most extensive Inca cemetery and its picturesque market. You will be able to see this masterpiece of Inca engineering, Ollantaytambo, built with perfectly polished and fitted rocks.

This entire tour along the short Inca Trail that takes you to the Sun Gate or Intipunku, in addition to offering you splendid views of the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, will allow you to feel and celebrate gratitude to Inti, the Sun God, and to Pachamama, Mother Earth.

Global and cultural influence

In its country of origin, the United States, Thanksgiving is traditionally an occasion for families to get together, be united, and share a meal centered on baked turkey. But as we have outlined here, its powerful influence is due to that sense of communion and respect that is celebrated in other countries as a previous ritual of gratitude for life and before Christmas.

In Peru, as in other cultural manifestations, including gastronomy, this celebration has merged with the ancestral traditions of its ancient inhabitants in gratitude to Mother Earth, in a collective and spiritual experience very typical of Thanksgiving.

From the moment you set out on the hike along the Inca Trail or Salkantay to the entrance to Machu Picchu, Thanksgiving is an opportunity to feel fully connected to Mother Earth and to ancient rites and traditions where a mighty civilization once formed and prospered.