Thanksgiving is a National holiday, celebrated in America and Canada. It is celebrated at other places also around the world. Thanksgiving is ranked second, in the list of America's favorite holidays. It is celebrated in America every year, on the 4th Thursday of November.
Thanksgiving is a festival of family reunion. Family members gather for a reunion to give thanks for the good things that they have. The dinner is lavish on this great day. It is certainly expensive. Turkeys are the meal of the day, it is the main cuisine on Thanksgiving Day. The approximate number of turkeys eaten in America on Thanksgiving Day last year was 46 million.
Most of the Americans got their families, friends and other close ones into cars, moved quickly onto buses, and waited for flights, which were delayed at various airports. With financial constraints, celebrating Thanksgiving was tougher. Help was sought from relatives and friends to pay for airfares.
Recession has affected one and all. Some altered their travel plans to fit their budget, boarded flights, which were cheaper, without worrying whether the airports would be nearby or even far off from their places of boarding and arrival.
To top it all, Weather was no respite too, as it was too foggy. In Chicago, many flights were delayed and cancelled. Even trains were delayed at New York City's Penn Station due to power failure. The aftermath of Superstorm Sandy was also clearly felt on the East Coast.
About 50 million people watch the ‘Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade’ on Television. New York City started with jubilant people on the streets for the 86th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which is one of the largest public events in a city, which is still trying to recover from the disastrous storm.
Sandy-affected residents found various ways to give thanks. Lots of the families, which lost their homes, friends, or close ones learnt to live with the new way of celebrating Thanksgiving, though with painful memories. Some of such families spent it at their friends place, and some others at some other alternative places.
Every year, Churches, Community Centers etc celebrate it with people who cannot afford it, but this year it was different for some of those also who never required any charity ever.
Some people invited strangers even to their homes, with all expenses paid, for Thanksgiving Day. Facebook page was created to help Sandy victims. About 50 Volunteers hosted such people at their homes.
Thanksgiving day turned out to be a real Thanksgiving day for Sandy victims also, apart from other people of America.