Thanksgiving rooted in English tradition

Thursday, October 26, is Thanksgiving Day, a day where Americans gorge themselves on turkey and dressing, watch football, and as of late invade stores for the start of the Christmas shopping season, but the holiday has been a part of America almost since the first Pilgrims landed in the new world.
Thanksgiving has its origins in English traditions, and also has aspects of a harvest festival. It is celebrated in the United States, and Canada, but on different dates, as well as several countries around the world. The first thanksgiving in America is commonly traced back to 1621 in present day Massachusetts. The feast was prompted by a good harvest. According to tradition, the celebration included 50 survivors from the Mayflower, and 90 Native Americans, who were invited as guests. There are other Thanksgiving celebrations documented before this date, however, including one by the Spaniards in the 16th century, as well, as early as 1607 in the first permanent settlement of Jamestown, VA.
The first Thanksgiving Day designated by the federal government of the United States was made by George Washington on October 3, 1789, proclaiming Thursday, November 26, 1789 as a national day of thanks. Several presidents continued the tradition, but it did not become an annual tradition until 1863, always on the last Thursday in November, until 1939, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the fourth Thursday of that year as Thanksgiving Day (there were five Thursdays in November that year, instead of four). Finally, in 1942, congress passed a resolution requiring Thanksgiving be observed on the fourth Thursday in November each year.
The serving of turkey has been a tradition since the first Thanksgiving in 1621. All of the food served on Thanksgiving is native to the Americas. Football has been a part of Thanksgiving since 1934. Parades have been a part of the tradition since 1924. In recent years, the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season, also known as Black Friday has spilled over into Thanksgiving evening, with many stores offering discounts to get shoppers in stores. Many people have begun to protest this practice saying that Thanksgiving Day should be set aside for families.