Philippines Once Observed Thanksgiving Day on September 21
There were no turkeys though.
(SPOT.ph) When Thanksgiving comes to mind, you probably picture a feast of roast turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pies. It’s always been a big celebration in the U.S. and Canada, but did you know Filipinos also once celebrated Thanksgiving Day? As in officially. We're not talking about your friends who post about their Thanksgiving dinner in Manila every November.
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Thanksgiving Day is an annual holiday in the U.S. and Canada to celebrate the "harvest and blessings of the past year." It traces its roots to a 1621 harvest feast shared by Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people. It's also a busy time for travel as families gather around a table for a lavish dinner.
Thanksgiving in the Philippines
Meanwhile, according to the Presidential Museum and Library, the Philippines adopted Thanksgiving Day in the early 20th century as part of its cultural heritage during the American colonial period. This tradition continued after the establishment of the Commonwealth Government in 1935, with then-President Manuel L. Quezon officially declaring Thanksgiving a national holiday.
Reports say the country's first Thanksgiving dinner took place in Pasay City on November 24, 1898, for Company D of the 30th U.S. Volunteers.
"The Philippines, being an American colony and part of the territory of the United States, celebrated the holiday annually, also in November. American Governors-General would issue proclamations declaring Thanksgiving a holiday celebrated by Filipinos nationwide," says the report.
During the Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945, both Americans and Filipinos still celebrated Thanksgiving Day in secret. Even after the war, thanksgiving continued to be observed until the Marcos administration, which began in the late 1960s.
As we all know, everything changed when martial law was declared on September 21, 1972. In 1973, Ferdinand Marcos Sr. issued Proclamation No. 1181, moving Thanksgiving Day to September 21 to align with his “Bagong Lipunan” initiative for social and political reform. The first celebration was warmly received nationwide, as reported by the Philippine News Agency.
You might be wondering: how did Filipinos celebrate it? Did they have turkey? Well, no! Some did have feasts but it was more like a regular holiday.
The holiday was still observed by some until the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution which ousted Marcos Sr.
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