Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is an annual one-day holiday to give thanks, historically to God, for the things one has at the end of the harvest season. Gerneral Information
Also called : Turkey DayObserved by : United States
Type : Cultural
Significance : a celebration of being thankful for what one has and the bounty of the year
Date : fourth Thursday in November
2007 date : November 22, 2007
Celebrations : parades, spending time with family, eating large dinners, football games.
Related to : Christmas and New Year's Day which conclude the American holiday season, and Columbus Day Traditional celebration
Traditional celebration
In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November which usually marks a pause in school and college calendars. Families and friends gather for a reunion, a day of thanks, and a festive meal.
Thanksgiving meals are traditionally family events where certain kinds of food are served. First and foremost, turkey is the featured item in most Thanksgiving feasts (so much so that Thanksgiving is sometimes facetiously referred to as "Turkey Day"). Stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn, turnips, yams and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner. Often guests bring food items or help with cooking in the kitchen as part of a happy, communal meal.
In keeping with the holiday theme of giving thanks, during the socializing or meal, people talk about what they are thankful for or tell about experiences during the past year which have caused them to feel grateful.
Thanksgiving dinner
The centerpiece of contemporary Thanksgiving in the United States is a large meal, centered around a large roasted turkey. The majority of the dishes in the traditional American version of Thanksgiving Dinner are made from foods native to the New World, according to tradition the Pilgrims received these foods from the American Indians. However, many of the classic traditions attributed to the first Thanksgiving are actually myths introduced later.
from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving
