Thanksgiving is a holiday where families and friends get together and share a meal to celebrate the harvest and other blessings in the past year. Occurring on the fourth Thursday in November and often the busiest time of the year, Thanksgiving is a time when families gather with one another. Thanksgiving is a national holiday in both the United States and Canada. Now celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November every year thanksgiving has many traditions and activities celebrated throughout the day or even the week. It is a day of football, family, and feasting.
Thanksgiving originates in a 1621 feast shared by the Native American Wampanoag and the Plymouth colonists from England. To celebrate their first good corn and barley crops grown with the assistance from the Wampanoag Indians. They share an autumn harvest feast and become the first thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. The festival thrown lasted three days. The second Thanksgiving celebration was hosted by the pilgrims and took place in 1623 to mark the end of the drought that threatened colonists and Indians year’s harvest causing to call for a religious fast. This holiday was celebrated by individual colonies and states. Until in 1863, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed it a national holiday to be held each November.
Thanksgiving lost much of its original significance and is now centered around cooking and sharing a meal with your family and friends. Turkey being a Thanksgiving staple is also included with bread stuffing cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and potatoes. Shared with families, the meal tends to me the main meaning of Thanksgiving now adays.
For most Americans Thanksgiving Day begins with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Beginning at 9 the parade is held in New York City. This parade is the largest and most famous event viewed by many people across the country. Consisting of marching bands, performers, floats, balloons shaped as the countries favorite characters, and most importantly Santa Clause at the very end.
Americans across the country gather around the tv to watch the many exciting football games being streamed throughout the day. The concept of games being played Thanksgiving Day dates to 1876. But only became a real tradition back in 1920, when football is watched by millions because of the halftime shows and festive atmosphere. Games are hosted in Detroit and Dallas every year in the late afternoon. Beginning in 2006, a third game began to be played in prime time. Beginning around noon families sit and watch their teams play before their Thanksgiving meals.
There are many traditions that make up Thanksgiving for some people. Thanksgiving is a day of giving thanks, tradition of the wishbone, and even giving back to others. People share what they are most thankful for this year. Along with that another tradition is the breaking of the turkey’s wishbone. Two people in the family each take a side of the bone, make a wish, and then pull to see who gets their wish. Whoever ended up with the longest part of the bone gets their wish. Lastly, some give back to those less fortunate in their communities. Some people volunteer at shelters and others donate and participate in canned food drives. Thanksgiving is a holiday spent around those you love and are thankful for and is a celebrated my many countries around the way.
