Facts About Thanksgiving That Foreigners To The United States Should Be Aware Of

In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of November with a meal shared among loved ones and tables laden with food and drink.

Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to get together and celebrate the season of giving thanks. Autumn leaves, cornucopias, and turkeys adorn the holiday napkins, plates, and centerpieces that spruce up homes and dining tables. The basement is emptied and restocked with additional seating so that everyone in the family can come. As distant relatives come together for the day, there is an air of celebration and happiness. They consume an enormous feast while watching football and parades. One of the most widely observed national holidays is Thanksgiving. People come from all over, closing schools, banks, government offices, and businesses so they can spend the day with their loved ones. Here are six nuggets of wisdom about the most celebrated holiday in the United States.

It's A Custom That Dates Back Nearly 400 Years

The first recorded celebrations of the holiday occurred in 1621 in the area now known as Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Pilgrims, who were English colonists, are said to have invited Wampanoag Indians to a feast to celebrate their first harvest, which they had planted with the help of the Indians. The tale is widely accepted, but it has been disputed by some historians. Traditions and celebrations that center around eating a lot of food are relatively new. It wasn't until 1863, when Abraham Lincoln was president of the United States, that Thanksgiving was recognized nationally.

Huge Amounts of Turkey and Pie Are Consumed.

When suppertime rolls around, families often congregate in a warm and inviting space, such as a dining room decked out in candles and the warm tones of the fall season. The roasted turkey is the centerpiece of the meal, as it has been done for generations. It is traditional to serve the turkey with sweet potatoes or yams and stuffing, a bread cube, onion, celery, and herb mixture that is stuffed inside the bird before roasting. Cranberries and other regional specialties with historical significance in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are also quite popular.

Due to the country's diverse population, American homes often feature dishes like couscous, pasta, and curries that pay homage to their members' cultural heritages. Beer, wine, and sometimes even specially made holiday cocktails are served.

Undoubtedly, the best part of Thanksgiving dinner is saving room for dessert. Apple and pumpkin pies, freshly baked and served with whipped cream or ice cream, are common desserts.

It's not uncommon for families to go out to eat together. You can find special Thanksgiving menus at Cracker Barrel and other national chains, as well as in many independent restaurants in larger cities across the United States. In this way, visitors and locals alike can enjoy Thanksgiving dinner without the hassle of preparing the meal themselves. Some advice: this is a preferred choice for many households. You can call the restaurant to make a reservation.

It Isn't the Only Thing People Do.

Turkey trots are local races held on Thanksgiving morning, typically for charity. Some people choose to observe the holiday by attending or watching a parade. New York City's annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is the largest and most well-known parade in the world.

Watching a football game on Thanksgiving is just as traditional as eating turkey. There are many households that devote countless hours each fall to watching NFL (National Football League), college, and even high school football games either live or on television. Dallas, Texas, and Detroit, Michigan, are regular hosts for NFL games.

Turkey Is Granted A Presidential Pardon.

In the United States, turkeys have it rough around Thanksgiving. The pardoning of a single turkey by the president is a humorous American tradition. The bird is spared and lives out its remaining years at Mount Vernon, Virginia, the former estate of America's first president, George Washington.

Retail Therapy: Customers Spend until They Drop

Many people in the United States observe a different kind of holiday on the day after Thanksgiving; this holiday is commonly known as "Black Friday." Discounts and limited-time sales are available at stores nationwide. A holiday shopping frenzy breaks out. Black Friday sales have become so notorious, many stores open for business much earlier than usual. Not all stores wait until Friday to start their sales. On Thanksgiving night, they throw open the doors. Brave consumers have been known to wait in line for several hours before stores open just to take advantage of sale prices.

It's Not Always Easy to Get Around on Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving, tens of millions of Americans hit the road to spend time with loved ones elsewhere in the country. Traveling throughout the United States is especially common on the days surrounding Thanksgiving. Most forms of transportation, including planes, trains, and automobiles, are frequently late, and traffic is usually bad. While it's true that the days leading up to Thanksgiving can be more expensive for airfare, flying on the actual holiday can be cheaper and less crowded.