Thanksgiving Traditions and Activities

Thanksgiving is a time for families to get together and celebrate the past year. There's something special about this holiday which is hard to communicate in a way to do Thanksgiving justice. This is a day that is the favorite of many for the companionship and holiday spirit and to honor, eat great food, and celebrate.

Thanksgiving Day, like many other holidays, is celebrated differently depending on which household you enter. However, there are several traditions which are common amongst all walks of life. Ok, all walks of human life living in Northern America excluding every North American countries except the United States and Canada. Alright, so there are some communities in Europe which celebrate a Thanksgiving as well (that's where the Americans adopted it afterall). But Europeans don't count...right? Ok, they do. We love you guys!

Traditional ways Thanksgiving is celebrated

• With food. Turkey, stuffing, cranberry salad, and pumpkin pie are commonly served in North America. This is mostly due to each being readily available during Autumn. It's right after the cranberry and pumpkin harvest after all.
• Giving thanks. Saying thanks before chowing down on the large Thanksgiving meal is a great way to set the tone for the rest of the evening. That is, if you aren't sleeping. Give thanks about the day, the past year, and even your life.
• Decorations. What is a better way to celebrate any holiday than to have decorations? A great Thanksgiving activity many children do is trace their hand and make it into a turkey by either coloring or gluing other sheets of colored paper on top. Other decorations include pumpkins, Indian corn, and fake turkeys.
• A family gathering. In many families, Thanksgiving is the time a family comes together, eats together, and laughs together.
• Football. In the United States it is almost a criminal offense not to watch football on Thanksgiving. It's also the only day people outside Detroit root for the Lions.
• Macy's Day Parade. Music and giant floats. There's nothing like seeing a giant Snoopy flying across your screen on Thanksgiving morning.
• National Dog Show. This is a recent addition to the traditions of Thanksgiving. The National Dog Show is shown directly after the Macy's Day Parade and is showing great promise to hold onto America's favorite dog show competition.
• Getting luck. Snapping the Turkey's wishbone between two family members is a tradition unlike any other. Ok, maybe it is, but it sounded good. Anyhow, the person with the largest chunk of wishbone-goodness after the snap receives one wish.
• After Thanksgiving Day. For many, it isn't so much Thanksgiving that brings happiness, it is the day after. In the United States, Thanksgiving is the official start of the Christmas season. The day after Thanksgiving is when many Americans begin decorating their houses with candles, lights, plastic trees, and giant Santa Clauses. This is also the day many Americans head out shopping in hopes of receiving a great bargain on the years top products and toys.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays due to the many different activities and traditions the day brings. If you don't fully understand the impact this day may hold on your family, come celebrate it with me!