Each
year, Americans celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday on the fourth
Thursday of November. Most families follow traditions begun on the first
Thanksgiving, but many have their own traditions that they follow each
year. Here are some of the common traditions associated with "Turkey
Day."
Travel
One of the best things about Thanksgiving is spending time with family.
Many people live far from family members and travel long distances by
car, train, or plane to be with their loved ones. Thanksgiving is the
busiest travel day of the year!
The Feast
Traditional foods are a large part of Thanksgiving celebrations.
Many families include the entire family in the food preparation.
Traditional foods include turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes,
cornbread, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. Many people serve pie
for dessert at the end of the meal. Popular pie flavors are pumpkin,
pecan, sweet potato, and apple.
Vegetarian Foods
Some families choose to serve vegetarian Thanksgiving dinners instead of
a stuffed turkey. Some people eat vegetarian turkey, which is made out
of tofu. Others prefer to eat squash, salads, or other fruit and
vegetable dishes.
The Wishbone
Some families include breaking the turkey's wishbone as part of their
celebration. The wishbone is found attached to the breast meat in the
turkey's chest. After the meat has been removed and the wishbone has had
a chance to become dry and brittle, two people each take one end of the
bone, make a wish, and pull. Whoever ends up with the larger part of
the bone gets their wish!
The Turkey Pardon
Each year at Thanksgiving, the President of the United States
receives a gift of a live turkey (along with an alternate in case
something happens to the official turkey). At a White House ceremony,
the president traditionally "pardons" the National Thanksgiving Turkey
and the alternate turkeys, allowing them to live out the rest of their
lives on a farm.
Helping Others
Many generous folks use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to help the less
fortunate. Some people volunteer to serve food at homeless shelters on
Thanksgiving Day and others donate to shelters or participate in canned
food drives.
TV
Television also plays a part in Thanksgiving celebrations. Many families
watch the New York City Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade
includes marching bands, floats, songs and performances from Broadway
musicals, and giant helium-filled balloons! People may also enjoy
televised football games.
After the Meal
After the feast families often do additional activities. Some like to
take walks after eating such a large meal. Some people take naps. Others
sit down together to play board or card games together.
Fast Facts
- The largest pumpkin pie ever made weighed 2,020 pounds (916.25 kilograms).
- A ripe cranberry will bounce.
- All turkeys and chickens have wishbones.
- Canadians celebrate their own Thanksgiving every October.
- Abraham Lincoln declared a national day of Thanksgiving in 1863.
- The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was held in 1924.
Source: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/peopleplaces/thanksgiving-traditions/
1. one of a group of words that are pronounced in the same way but differing in meaning or spelling
or both, as for example bear and bare
