Staff Report / clearwaterlocal.org

**Thanksgiving Day: Celebrating Tradition and Community**

Thanksgiving Day, observed on the fourth Thursday of November, has its roots in a three-day feast held by the Pilgrims in the fall of 1621 to celebrate a successful harvest. This event is widely recognized as the first Thanksgiving in American history.

The tradition of giving thanks evolved over the years, leading to the establishment of Thanksgiving as a national holiday on October 3, 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln declared that the last Thursday of November would be a day of thanksgiving. In a later adjustment, President Franklin Roosevelt designated the fourth Thursday of November for the celebration to promote early holiday shopping.

In the United States, there are distinct locales reflecting the holiday's traditional foods. Four towns are specifically named after turkey, the main course often featured during Thanksgiving:

1. Turkey Creek, Louisiana (Population: 402)

2. Turkey, Texas (Population: 325)

3. Turkey, North Carolina (Population: 214)

4. Turkey Creek, Arizona (Population: 457)

Additionally, five census-designated places bear the name Cranberry, a common Thanksgiving side dish:

1. Cranberry Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania (Population: 34,516)

2. Cranberry Township, Venango County, Pennsylvania

For those seeking festive towns in Florida to parallel the Thanksgiving turkey and cranberry theme, notable mentions include:

- Spuds, FL (St. Johns County)

- Mango, FL (Hillsborough County)

- Pea Ridge, FL (Santa Rosa County)

- Two Egg, FL (Jackson County)

- Cocoa, FL (Brevard County)

- Whiskey Creek, FL (Lee County)

Source: Pinellas Co. Environmental

Source Type: Gov

Source Location:

Melbourne

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