Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving: The expression of gratitude, especially to God.

History of Thanksgiving:

~In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies.

Thanksgiving Traditions

~Each year Americans in the United States celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday on the fourth Thursday of November. Most families follow traditions begun on the first Thanksgiving, but many have their own traditions that they follow each year. Here are some of the common traditions associated with "Turkey Day."

• Spending time with family.
• Traditional foods include: Turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, cornbread, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.

           Dessert: Popular pie flavors are pumpkin, pecan, sweet potato, and apple.

(Some people eat vegetarian turkey, which is made out of tofu. Others prefer to eat squash, salads, or other fruit and vegetable dishes.)

• Some families include breaking the turkey's wishbone as part of their celebration. The wishbone is found attached to the breast meat in the turkey's chest. After the meat has been removed and the wishbone has had a chance to become dry and brittle, two people each take one end of the bone, make a wish, and pull. Whoever ends up with the larger part of the bone gets their wish!
• Many generous folks use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to help the less fortunate. Some people volunteer to serve food at homeless shelters on Thanksgiving Day and others donate to shelters or participate in canned food drives.
• Television also plays a part in Thanksgiving celebrations. Many families watch the New York City Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade includes marching bands, floats, songs and performances from Broadway musicals, and giant helium-filled balloons! People may also enjoy televised football games.

~To me, there are many  things I am thankful for. I can start by saying that I am thankful to God for giving me a chance to live, and giving me a great family. Also, I’d like to thank my family for always being supportive and understanding of how I am and I’m becoming. This gives me great enthusiasm to live a better and greater life. I also want to thank my friends and my best friend Aylin for always always always being there when I needed them. They were supportive of me when I came out, and they never fail to bring a smile to my face. Another person I would like to thank is my closer friend, ‘almost sister’. She understands me in my most lowest times, and I’m thankful for her and her existence. Even if she thinks no one’s there for her at times, she doesn’t know I’m always thinking about her. I love all my friends and family, but some people you just love them over the board. You feel that special loving they give you and that’s a feeling I’d recommend for the ones who think are not capable of loving anyone. I’m also thankful for my teachers, tutors, counselors, advisors, companions, classmates, and even the strangers I see...All of these wonderful people make up this world and I included everyone because no one has to be left behind. Everyone is important and everyone has a role to accomplish in this world. All that the world needs is peace and understanding of what being thankful mea