感恩节的由来要一直追溯到美国历史的发端。1620年，著名的“五月花”号船满载不堪忍受英国国内宗教迫害的清教徒102人到达美洲。1620年和1621年之交的冬天，他们遇到了难以想象的困难，处在饥寒交迫之中，冬天过去时，活下来的移民只有50来人。这时，心地善良的印第安人给移民送来了生活必需品，还特地派人教他们怎样狩猎、捕鱼和种植玉米、南瓜。在印第安人的帮助下，移民们终于获得了丰收，在欢庆丰收的日子，按照宗教传统习俗，移民规定了感谢上帝的日子，并决定为感谢印第安人的真诚帮助，邀请他们一同庆祝节日。 

在第一个感恩节的这一天，印第安人和移民欢聚一堂，他们在黎明时鸣放礼炮，列队走进一间用作教堂的屋子，虔诚地向上帝表达谢意，然后点起篝火举行盛大宴会。第二天和第三天又举行了摔跤、赛跑、唱歌、跳舞等活动。第一个感恩节非常成功。其中许多庆祝方式流传了300多年，一直保留到今天。

感恩节（Thanksgiving Day），原意是为了感谢印第安人，后来人们常在这一天感谢他人。自1941年起，感恩节是在每年11月的第四个星期四，在这一天起将休假两天，都要和自己的家人团聚，感恩节在每年11月22－28日之间，感恩节是美国国定假日中最地道、最美国式的节日，加拿大的感恩节则起始于1879年，是在每年10月第二个星期一。

初时感恩节没有固定日期，由各州临时决定。直到美国独立后的1863年，林肯总统宣布感恩节为全国性节日。 

即将过去的一年充满了天祥地灵的福气。

我们时时享用这些福气，却常常忘了饮水思源。然而有一些不同凡响的福上之福，不可能不穿透并软化那对全能上帝的惠赐已麻木不仁的心灵。

在这场规模空前甚至引发异邦对我们虎视眈眈的惨烈内战当中，我们保持了与世界各民族的和平，保障了社会秩序，保护了法律的尊严，保守了战地外的和睦。战场正随著我们联邦海陆军的节节胜利而大大缩小。

犁头、梭子或船只并没有因为和平工业的财力往国防的必要转移而停滞。开荒斧头拓宽了我们居住的地界，铁矿、煤矿和贵金属矿连年增产。

尽管军营、围城及战场造成废墟浩劫，我们的人口持续增长。国力增强令人欣喜，人民定将继续享有更大自由。这些伟大的事情，不是出于人心的设计，也不是人的手能成全，乃是来源于至高上帝的恩赐。

祂诚然因我们的罪孽而发怒，但仍然乐意赐下慈爱怜悯。我深深觉得，全体美国人民应当万众一心，向至高上帝致以庄严而虔诚的谢忱。

因此，我谨邀请全美各地的同胞以及海外侨胞，把十一月的最后一个礼拜四分别出来，向住在天上的慈爱父神献上感恩与赞美。当我们这样敬拜这位拯救与赐福我们的上帝的同时，我建议每人本着为民族的邪恶与叛逆而谦卑痛悔的心，把所有因为这场无法避免的内战而成为孤儿、寡妇、哀哭与受害者的同胞，交托在上帝恩惠的手中，恳求全能者伸手医治我们民族的伤痕，并按照他的美意，尽快恢复那完全的和平、和睦、安宁与联邦。

谨此为证，亲手加盖，合众国印。

林肯总统写于华盛顿市，主后一千八百六十三年十月三日，合众国独立第八十八年

(张儒民译于1999年感恩节，2013年感恩节补译末尾两句，并稍微修改)

原文：

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with

the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies.

To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are

prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been

added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot

fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually

insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity,

which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to

provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all

nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected

and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the

theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly

contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of

peaceful industry to the national defense, have not arrested the

plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders

of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of

the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than

heretofore.

Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that

has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the

country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and

vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large

increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any

mortal hand worked out these great things.

They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while

dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered

mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be

solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart

and one voice by the whole American People.

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the

United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are

sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last

Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to

our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions

justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings,

they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness

and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have

become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable

civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently

implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds

of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with

the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony,

tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the

Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the

year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of

the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln