While I agree 100% that the myth of Thanksgiving is a paean to imperialism, the actual truth of the holiday is much more boring, and is actually about the other two Cs in Conquest, Capitalism and Christianity.

Harvest festivals are ubiquitous in temperate countries with a well-defined autumn, and many or most of Christianity has had a Thanksgiving in their book of days for centuries now.

For most Americans, this was a day on the religious calendar about as important as Ascension Day, until 1939, when FDR moved the date to be a month before Christmas and gave everyone the day off, deliberately intending to create the gorging capitalist orgy of consumption and waste that the Thanksgiving to Christmas period in America continues to be to this very day.

To anyone reading this, don't participate: celebrate Buy Nothing Day instead!