INTERNACIONAL
What is Evacuation Day? The forgotten holiday that predates Thanksgiving — and once eclipsed July 4
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When President Abraham Lincoln first proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday, little did he know he was spelling the beginning of the end to the prominence of the original patriotic celebration held during the last week of November: Evacuation Day.
In November 1863, Lincoln issued an order thanking God for harvest blessings, and by the 1940s, Congress had declared the 11th month of the calendar year’s fourth Thursday to be Thanksgiving Day.
That commemoration, though, combined with the gradual move toward détente with what is now the U.S.’ strongest ally – Great Britain – displaced the day Americans celebrated the last of the Redcoats fleeing their land.
Following the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in 1776, New York City — just 99 miles to the northeast — remained a British stronghold until the end of the Revolutionary War.
Captured Continentals were held aboard prison ships in New York Harbor and British political activity in the West was anchored in the Big Apple, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
GEORGE WASHINGTON’S SACRED TRADITION
Gen. George Washington parades through Lower Manhattan on Evacuation Day; Nov. 25, 1783. (Library of Congress lithograph via Getty)
However, that all came crashing down on the crown after the Treaty of Paris was signed, and new «Americans» eagerly saw the British out of their hard-won home on Nov. 25, 1783.
In their haste to flee the U.S., the British took time to grease flagpoles that still flew the Union Jack. One prominent post was at Bennett Park – on present-day West 183 Street near the northern tip of Manhattan.
Undeterred, Sgt. John van Arsdale, a Revolution veteran, cobbled together cleats that allowed him to climb the slick pole and tear down the then-enemy flag. Van Arsdale replaced it with the Stars and Stripes – and without today’s skyscrapers in the way, the change of colors at the island’s highest point could be seen farther downtown.
In the harbor, a final blast from a British warship aimed for Staten Island, but missed a crowd that had assembled to watch the 6,000-man military begin its journey back across the Atlantic to King George III.
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John Van Arsdale replaces the Union Jack with the American flag at Bennett Park – just north of today’s George Washington Bridge – as the British evacuate New York on Nov. 25, 1783. (Getty)
Later that day, future President George Washington and New York Gov. George Clinton – who had negotiated «evacuation» with England’s Canadian Gov. Sir Guy Carleton – led a military march down Broadway through throngs of revelers to what would today be the Wall Street financial district at the other end of Manhattan.
Clinton hosted Washington for dinner and a «Farewell Toast» at nearby Fraunces’ Tavern, which houses a museum dedicated to the original U.S. holiday. Samuel Fraunces, who owned the watering hole, provided food and reportedly intelligence to the Continental Army.
Washington convened at Fraunces’ just over a week later to announce his leave from the Army, surrounded by Clinton and other top Revolutionary figures like German-born Gen. Friedrich von Steuben – whom New York’s Oktoberfest-styled parade officially honors, but who is often supplanted by beer themes elsewhere.
AMERICA’S OLDEST INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE MARKS 240 YEARS OF PATRIOTIC TRADITION
«With a heart full of love and gratitude, I now take leave of you. I most devoutly wish that your latter days may be as prosperous and happy, as your former ones have been glorious and honorable,» Washington said.
Before Lincoln – and later Congress – normalized Thanksgiving as the mass family affair it has become, Evacuation Day was more prominent than both its successor and Independence Day, according to several sources, including Untapped New York.
November 25 was a school holiday in the 19th century and people re-created van Arsdale’s climb up the Bennett Park flagpole. Formal dinners were held at the Plaza Hotel and other upscale institutions for many years, according to the outlet.
The New York Public Library reportedly holds a Delmonico’s Steakhouse menu from the Evacuation Day centennial celebration in 1783; with celebrants dining on fish, pheasant and turkey, according to Eurasia Review.
An official parade reminiscent of today’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade was held every year in New York until the 1910s.
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Fraunces’ Tavern, at Pearl and Broad Streets in New York City. (Getty)
As diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom warmed heading into the 20th century and the U.S. alliance with London during the World Wars proved crucial, celebrating Evacuation Day became less and less prominent.
Into the 2010s, however, commemorative flag-raisings have been sporadically held at Bowling Green, the southern endpoint of Broadway.
For the 242nd anniversary of Evacuation Day in 2025, the Lower Manhattan Historical Association reportedly held a procession on Saturday from Fraunces’ to Evacuation Day Plaza – where in present-day, the Wall Street «bull» is found.
A flag-raising then took place across the street at Bowling Green, according to DowntownNY. The historic greenspace is the oldest public park in the city and was a regular gathering place in British-Colonial New York.
On the original Evacuation Day, Washington’s dinner at Fraunces Tavern was preceded by the new U.S. Army marching down the iconic avenue to formally take back New York.
Washington Taking Leave of the Officers of His Army–at Francis’s Tavern, Broad Street, New York – «With a heart full of love and gratitude, I now take leave of you. I most devoutly wish that your latter days may be as prosperous and happy, as your former ones have been glorious and honorable.» (1848 Lithograph by Nathaniel Currier/Pierce Archive/Buyenlarge via Getty Images)
Thirteen toasts – marking the number of United States – were raised at Fraunces, each one spelling out the new government’s hope for the new nation or giving thanks to those who helped it come to be.
An aide to Washington wrote them down for posterity, and the Sons of the American Revolution recite them at an annual dinner, according to the tavern’s museum site.
«To the United States of America,» the first toast went. The second honored King Louis XVI, whose French Army was crucial in America’s victory.
«To the vindicators of the rights of mankind in every quarter of the globe,» read another. «May a close union of the states guard the temple they have erected to liberty.»
The 13th toast offered a warning to any other country that might ever seek to invade the new U.S.:
«May the remembrance of this day be a lesson to princes.»
thanksgiving occasions lifestyle,new york,presidential,history,wars,united kingdom
INTERNACIONAL
Video: así fue evacuada la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum por el terremoto en México que dejó al menos dos muertos
Un sismo de magnitud 6,5 con epicentro en Guerrero, en el suroeste de México, sacudió este viernes esa zona turística de la costa Pacífica y la cercana Ciudad de México. Autoridades reportaron al menos dos muertos y daños graves.
El terremoto se registró poco antes de las 8:00, hora local, según datos del Servicio Sismológico Nacional mexicano.
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Autoridades de Ciudad de México reportaron la muerte accidental de un hombre de 67 años que se cayó mientras evacuaba su edificio durante el temblor. “El hombre desalojó su departamento en el segundo piso, tropezó y perdió el conocimiento”, informó el gobierno de la alcaldía local Benito Juárez. A la llegada de los paramédicos, “ya no presentaba signos vitales”, añadió.
Y la gobernadora del estado de Guerrero, Evelyn Salgado, confirmó el fallecimiento de una mujer de 56 años tras el colapso de su vivienda.
Además, 12 personas resultaron lesionadas, según reportó la alcaldesa de la capital mexicana, Clara Brugada, en la red social X.
El sismo obligó también a suspender la habitual rueda de prensa que la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum brinda cada mañana en el Palacio Nacional de Ciudad de México. Imágenes de la transmisión en vivo mostraron cómo fue evacuada tras exclamar “uy, está temblando” y pedir calma en el lugar mientras se activaban los protocolos de seguridad ante el movimiento telúrico.
El sismo tuvo su epicentro a 15 kilómetros de San Marcos, cerca de la turística Acapulco, en el estado de Guerrero, informó Sheinbaum a su regreso minutos después del temblor.
Los videos de los edificios de Ciudad de México sacudiéndose circularon en las redes sociales. (Video: X @MVSNoticias/Foto: Francisco ROBLES / AFP.)
La violenta sacudida fue precedida un minuto antes por las alarmas de advertencia y algunas personas salieron a las calles aún en pijama.
Cuatro heridos y cientos de viviendas afectadas en San Marcos
El Heraldo de México reportó que hubo cuatro heridos en San Marcos y más de 500 casas dañadas (70 de ellas quedaron inhabitables) tras el sismo. Además, un hospital quedó colapsado.
Según informó Diego Armando Valente Pineda, director de Protección Civil municipal, el temblor golpeó especialmente a las casas de adobe. “Al momento llevamos un recuento de 300 viviendas de adobe afectadas en el municipio, en algunas comunidades y parte de la cabecera municipal”, detalló el funcionario durante un recorrido de evaluación.
Imágenes del Ángel de la Independencia durante el temblor de magnitud 6.5. (Video: X @GuateToday)
Además, 200 viviendas de material también sufrieron daños. De ese total, 70 casas quedaron inhabitables, la mayoría de adobe, por presentar “fisuras considerables, desprendimiento completo de paredes y algunas incluso colapsaron”, explicó Valente Pineda.
El hospital del IMSS-Bienestar de San Marcos también resultó con daños estructurales. “El hospital está colapsado; hay fisuras y personal de la Secretaría de Gestión Integral de Riesgos y Protección Civil del Estado ya está revisando el inmueble para determinar si es apto para seguir utilizándose”, indicó el director de Protección Civil.
El temblor principal desató una intensa actividad sísmica posterior. “Desde el sismo fuerte de magnitud 6.5 llevamos el conteo de más de 305 réplicas, algunas de 5.0 y 5.5, por lo que las réplicas van a continuar”, advirtió el portavoz.
Leé también: Impactante video: así empezó el incendio mortal en una fiesta de Año Nuevo en Suiza Más de 500 viviendas quedaron afectadas por el sismo. (Foto: X @Despierta_Oax)
Sismos mortales
Parte de Ciudad de México, principalmente la zona céntrica, está asentada sobre un subsuelo fangoso de lo que antes era un lago, lo que la hace particularmente sensible a los sismos. Los que más se resienten son los generados en la costa de Guerrero, al encontrarse a menos de 400 km.
El 19 de septiembre de 1985 un terremoto de magnitud 8,1 devastó una amplia zona de la capital. Con epicentro en la costa del Pacífico, entre Guerrero y Michoacán, sacudió también a gran parte del centro y sur del país.
Durante años, variaron las cifras oficiales en las estimaciones de muertos del sismo de 1985. Según un recuento de actas de defunción oficiales publicado en 2015, causó 12.843 muertes.
También un 19 de septiembre, en 2017, un terremoto de 7,1 dejó 369 fallecidos, la mayoría en Ciudad de México.
México se ubica entre cinco placas tectónicas, cuyos movimientos convierten al país en uno de los que registra mayor actividad sísmica en el mundo, particularmente en la costa del Pacífico desde la frontera con Guatemala hasta el estado de Jalisco (oeste).
(Con información de AFP)
México, Terremoto
INTERNACIONAL
Mamdani disputes antisemitism definition amid blowback from Jewish community about Day 1 executive orders
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Zohran Mamdani, the newly sworn-in mayor of New York City, suggested Friday that the widely adopted definition of antisemitism from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) does not actually protect Jewish New Yorkers. The mayor spoke amid backlash over Day 1 executive orders that have angered many Jewish and civil rights groups.
The self-described democratic socialist also dismissed allegations that the timing of his executive orders, which came just hours after he was sworn in, were illustrative of what critics have argued is his record of hostility toward Israel and the Jewish community.
The new mayor’s Day 1 directives included rescinding a ban on city agencies from boycotting or divesting from Israel and ending the city’s adoption of the IHRA definition on antisemitism ushered in by the former mayor, Eric Adams.
«When we speak about the IHRA definition that you asked about, you know, protecting Jewish New Yorkers is going to be a focus of my administration, and I also know that a number, as you said, of leading Jewish organizations, have immense concerns around this definition,» Mamdani said in response to questions about his executive orders Friday afternoon in Brooklyn.
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani suggested Friday that the widely adopted definition of antisemitism from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance does not actually protect Jewish New Yorkers. (Reuters/Jeenah Moon and Jennifer Mitchell/Fox News Digital)
«What we will do is actually deliver on our commitment to protect Jewish New Yorkers in a manner that is able to actually fulfill that,» he added before moving on to another question.
When asked about the criticism regarding the speed of the executive orders aimed at rescinding protections against antisemitism in New York City, Mamdani did not directly answer the question.
«As the new mayor of a city, you have to sign a continuation of all prior executive orders or a revocation or an amendment of all of them. And, so, what we did was sign an executive order that continued every executive order that predated the moment when our former mayor was indicted, a moment when many New Yorkers lost even more faith in New York City politics and the ability of city government to actually prioritize the needs of the public,» Mamdani responded.
«And what we will now do is showcase that new era to protect each and every New Yorker and to deliver for those same New Yorkers in a manner that they have not seen under prior administrations.»
Newly sworn-in Mayor Zohran Mamdani and former New York City Mayor Eric Adams (Getty Images; AP Images)
Mamdani’s responses at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn came shortly after a slew of civil rights and pro-Jewish organizations doubled down on the criticism over Mamdani’s Day 1 directives affecting the Jewish community.
ZOHRAN MAMDANI WILL BE FIRST MAYOR TO BE SWORN IN ON QURAN DURING NEW YORK CITY INAUGURATION
«We are deeply troubled that, on his first day in office, Mayor Mamdani weakened protections to fight antisemitism,» the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) New York and New Jersey chapter said Friday.
The group, alongside a cohort of other New York-area Jewish groups, issued a joint statement against Mamdani’s executive orders.
«Revoking these executive orders removes key tools for addressing antisemitism, including BDS-driven efforts that seek to demonize, delegitimize and isolate the world’s only Jewish state,» the ADL added.
Zohran Mamdani has faced backlash from the Jewish community over his Day 1 executive orders affecting Jewish New Yorkers. (Andres Kudacki/Bastien Ohier/Hans Lucas via Getty Images)
In addition to Mamdani’s executive order rescinding «all executive orders issued on or after September 26, 2024,» which included the measures affecting the Jewish community, the new mayor also unveiled a second executive order on Day 1 establishing five new deputy mayor positions in his administration.
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Also Friday, Mamdani unveiled another new executive order shortly after he was sworn in to establish a new «Office of Mass Engagement,» which aims to prioritize and centralize the city government’s public comment and feedback mechanisms intended to help New Yorkers stay engaged with politics in the Big Apple.
zohran mamdani,new york city,executive policy,executive,anti semitism,new york,politics
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A customer at a McDonald’s in Brazil was seen launching into a flying kick toward an employee during a fight in the fast-food restaurant.
The incident happened at the chain’s Sao Paulo location during a confrontation between workers and customers, The Sun reported.
A couple was seen arguing with staff members on Dec. 13 when the dispute escalated.
MCDONALD’S WORKER SHOOTS CUSTOMER IN NECK DURING ‘MCMESS’ ALTERCATION, FLORIDA SHERIFF SAYS
An altercation occurred in a McDonald’s in Brazil, which ended in a customer launching a «flying kick» at an employee. (Mike Leidig/newsX)
As both sides scream at each other, a female customer is seen hurling a fallen burger at one of the employees, the outlet reported.
In response, an employee throws what appeared to be a burger box at a man in a white T-shirt who appears to be accompanying the woman.
The man leads a small girl away before he launched himself at employees near a counter with a flying kick. An employee then appears to throw a punch, prompting the man to walk away.
WATCH: FOOD ORDER MIX-UP TRIGGERS BRAWL AT BURGER JOINT, LEADING TO SEVEN ARRESTS
Footage captured an altercation in a McDonald’s in Brazil. (Mike Leidig/newsX)
Other employees attempted to step in as the woman demanded her money back. She is seen picking something up from the counter and throwing it before the footage ends.
The reason for the dispute was unclear, but local media outlets said it could have stemmed from a food order.
McDonald’s said it regretted the scenes of violence at its Sao Paulo branch, the Sun report states.
A McDonald’s employee in Brazil is seen getting ready to throw something toward a customer. (Mike Leidig/newsX)
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The fast-food giant said it was investigating the incident and taking appropriate measures.
fast food,brazil,food
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