Thanksgiving is a U.S. holiday that celebrates and remembers the Pilgrims and the Native
First, a little history lesson…
The Pilgrims were a group of about 100 people that left England because of religious
persecution. The Pilgrims sailed to the New World (United States of America) in their boat called the Mayflower. They planned to go to Virginia, but they went off course and landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620. The Pilgrims were starving and did not know how to grow food in the new land.
A group of Native American Indians called the Wampanoag Indians taught the Pilgrims how to grow food.
In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims held (had) a three-day feast called Thanksgiving and invited the Native American Indians to give thanks for a successful harvest with plenty (lots) of food to survive the winter.
The Pilgrims and the Native Americans did not share the same religious views, but they celebrated the harvest they had. Thanksgiving is an interfaith holiday; a holiday that people of all different faiths celebrate.
Thanksgiving is about being thankful for what we have.
Thanksgiving is celebrated on the third Thursday of November.
It is a federal holiday; all banks, schools, and federal offices are closed.
Most businesses are closed for Thanksgiving.
How do people celebrate Thanksgiving? (What do people do on Thanksgiving?)
The most common tradition, is family and friends gather for a big meal. Most often turkey is severed, with many different side dishes.
Typical side dishes are, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes or yams, corn, carrots, broccoli, brussels sprouts, green beans, cornbread or rolls.
For dessert, there is often pie. The most common pie is apple pie, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie. However, there can be blueberry pie, peach pie, coconut custard, etc.
Many people attend parades or watch them on TV. New York City and many other cities have big parades on Thanksgiving.
There are many local, college, and professional football games played on Thanksgiving.