Thanksgiving...

The Origins and Celebrations

Thanksgiving Day is a holiday reserved for Americans to mark the end of harvest season by giving thanks for what they have. Thanksgiving is not typically related to any religious celebration, and is derived from the harvest festivals that take place around the world in many cultures, and have throughout history. Some people relate giving thanks to God or another higher power as the meaning of the holiday, which may be true for some traditions, but historically, this is not an aspect of Thanksgiving.

In the United States, we celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of every November. Traditions may vary from family to family, but most revolve around the gathering of friends and family to share in a large feast that the day is spent preparing. Food, festivities, and fun are a large part of the holiday, and it signals the kick off to the hustle and bustle of the winter holiday season.

Many families take the opportunity to share what they have with those less fortunate, as well. Charity groups organize some of the largest events of the year to take in the most donations of canned goods and other imperishable foods to pass out to families for Thanksgiving who normally wouldn’t have a nutritious meal to eat. Giving unto others who aren’t as lucky as the rest of us, is a big part of what makes the holiday so special.

Different cultural backgrounds dictate the type of meal served at Thanksgiving, but the predominant feature in all Thanksgiving dinners is the turkey. Mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, corn, and cranberry sauce are also typical dishes found at the dinner table for Thanksgiving. Pumpkin pie is a common dessert served for the holiday, as well.

A cultural icon of Thanksgiving Day is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, one of the largest parades held every year in New York City. Thousands of people gather in the city each year to watch a wide array of floats, balloons, and bands. The parade traditionally ends with a float boasting Santa Claus, signaling the beginning of the holiday season.

The Thanksgiving Classic, a series of football games that are played on Thanksgiving Day, has been another traditional since the dawn of the NFL. Many football fans gather around the television to view the event while dinner is being cooked. Some college teams have also taken up playing games on the Thanksgiving holiday, though the day is usually reserved for rivalry games.

Many consumers pack it up early and head to bed to prepare for the event that comes in the early hours of the next morning: Black Friday. Huge sales offering steep discounts sprout up all over popular department stores as early as 3 A.M., with lines popping up the night before full of shoppers hoping to pick up big ticket electronics and that year’s “it” toy for as cheap as possible. Black Friday, aptly named for its ability to boost company’s poor sales in the red up to profitable again, has become quite a tradition for many families in the U.S.

Whatever your family’s traditions may be, staying true to the meaning of the holiday is so important. Thanksgiving is a special time for loved ones to come together and remind each other why family and friends are so important to our lives, and to give thanks for the wonderful people we know and opportunities that we’ve been afforded. No matter what is on your table, turkey, cranberry sauce, take the time to think about what the year has brought you, and remember to tell those around you what they mean to you. Turkey may make the meal, but giving thanks is what makes the holiday.

by Melissa Nykorchuk

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