Thanksgiving In USA

In the United States of America (USA), Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. An annual celebration, it represents the time of communal Thanksgiving, expression of gratitude and lavish feasts. The original pilgrims had celebrated the autumn harvest with a 'feast of thanks', in which people from the neighborhood were also invited to share the meal. The present day Thanksgiving celebrations in the US revolve around family meals and reunions. The day is celebrated with great fervor and joy and Americans are in a holiday mood throughout the weekend.

Thanksgiving dinner table is adorned with a number of traditional dishes, including baked or roasted turkey. Stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet corn, other fall vegetables, and pumpkin pie are commonly found in the menu. Many vegetarians or vegans eat Torfuky, a vegetarian turkey made of Tofu. Most communities in US have annual food drives on the day, where non-perishable and canned food is collect and used to feed the needy. Many corporations in the US also sponsor charity Thanksgiving dinners and distribution of staple foods.

Various spiritual and religious organizations in the US offer services and organize events on Thanksgiving themes on the weekend that falls before the Thanksgiving Thursday or on the weekend that follows the Thanksgiving Day. Families begin the celebrations by saying grace before dinner. Many families also undertake holiday plans, as a result of which Thanksgiving weekend is the busiest travel periods of the year. People plan vacations and leisure travel during this time as Thanksgiving is four day or five day vacation in schools and colleges, so they have time to enjoy a small trip.

In the New York City of the U.S, Macy's Department store holds a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade every year, on the festival. The parade begins from the upper west side of Manhattan and goes till Macy's flagship store in Herald Square. The parade is also televised nationally on NBC. Thanksgiving parades are held in many other cities as well, such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Plymouth, St. Louis, Detroit, Seattle and Pittsburg. The National Football League of U.S plays games every year on Thanksgiving Day which are known as the Thanksgiving Classic.