Thanksgiving Today families celebrate Thanksgiving by eating together
Thanksgiving
• Today, families celebrate Thanksgiving by eating together • Normally there is turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, yams, corn, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.
• It is a federal holiday, so there is no school for any children. Also the banks, post offices, and government offices are closed. • It is is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November.
• The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 when the pilgrims invited the Wompanoag Indians of Massachusetts to a three-day feast to thank God for the autumn harvest.
The Pilgrims were a small group of English people who sailed to North America in order to start a new life. They were in search of religious freedom. They sailed on a ship called the Mayflower and landed on Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts
• The Pilgrims celebrated the harvest but more importantly they celebrated surviving their first brutal winter in New England. • They were thankful for the food they had. • Now as a tradition at Thanksgiving people reflect on what they are grateful for in their lives and say grace before eating.
Parades • Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been a tradition in New York city since 1924 • It begins at 9 am and lasts for 3 hours • More than 44 million people watch the parade on television each year • The arrival of Santa Clause at the end of the parade marks the beginning of the Christmas season
Football • Watching professional football on Thanksgiving has been an American tradition for over a century (began in 1902) • Normally, high school games are played between rival teams and the towns show up for the “Turkey Bowls” • Family’s often play big games either before or after the meal
Pardoning the Turkey • Since President George Bush in 1989, 2 turkeys each year have been pardoned by the president. • Instead of being roasted for dinner, they are sent to Disney. Land where they attend the parade and then live for the rest of their lives. • Last year Obama pardoned his first turkey, Courage from Goldsboro, NC.
“Black Friday” • The day after Thanksgiving is usually a day off, especially for schools. • This day has become a day of intense shopping, mostly for Christmas presents, and there are big sales. • People wake up as early as 4 am to get ready to shop.
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