3. History of Thanksgiving
In the early 1600's, a group known as the
Separatists lived in England. They were not
allowed to practice their religion, so they hired the
Mayflower to carry them to a new land: America.
On November 11, 1620 the Mayflower landed in
modern-day Province Town, Massachusetts. They
built a colony and named the place Plymouth.
5. History Continued
The pilgrims needed help learning about the land and
animals. The Wampanoag tribe taught the pilgrims where
fish swam, how to hunt deer, as well as how to plant corn.
With the help of the Native Americans, there was plenty of
food for everyone. The Pilgrims had so much to be
thankful for.
They gave thanks for good friends, new homes, freedom of
religion, and plenty of food in an autumn harvest festival
with their Native American friends.
7. Modern Day Thanksgiving
Today, we continue the celebration of the Pilgrims
and the Native Americans, and call it
Thanksgiving.
A typical Thanksgiving consists of family and
friends gathering together for dinner.
Turkey is the main dish, and the holiday is
sometimes called "Turkey Day" as a result.
Other food at the table includes: mashed potatoes,
sweet potatoes, casseroles, stuffing, cranberry
sauce, and pumpkin pie.
16. Modern Day Thanksgiving
Continued
The day before Thanksgiving, the best turkey in
the U.S. is pardoned by the President.
On Thanksgiving morning, most Americans watch
the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. After
dinner, families enjoy the various football games.
The Friday after Thanksgiving is the official
beginning of the Christmas season. Many people
go shopping on this day because items are on-sale.
17. Turkey Pardon
The turkey is best known for being the main
dish in any traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
While an estimated 46 million turkeys will
be served in the U.S. this year, two have
been chosen as the National Thanksgiving
Turkey and its alternate.
They will be spared by the president
himself at the White House.
18. This year’s lucky birds won a turkey beauty
pageant.
Out of 20,000 birds, 25 were selected for
the presidential flock. From these 25, the
two that behaved the best on a table were
selected to be the National Thanksgiving
Turkey and its alternate.
After the pardoning, the turkeys go to
California to be a part of Disneyland’s
Thanksgiving parade.
20. Macy’s Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is
celebrating its 85th anniversary this year.
The parade, as always, will feature 44
balloons, 27 floats, 800 volunteer clowns,
1,600 cheerleaders and 11 of the country's
most talented marching bands.
21. This year’s new characters include Paul
Frank's monkey "Julius" and "Sonic the
Hedgehog.” Some classic characters like
Kermit the Frog and Buzz Lightyear will be
in the parade again.
Santa Claus will finish up the parade,
indicating the start of the Christmas season.
23. Black Friday
Beginning around midnight on Thursday,
Americans will start queuing up outside various
retail stores, waiting for the stores to open and the
shopping to begin.
Most people shop on this day because many items
are discounted or on-sale. However, once the item
runs out, so does the discount! You must hurry!
In 2010, the average American spent about $365,
and an estimated 212 million people shopped.
24. The streets and sidewalks are always
crowded on Black Friday because so many
people go shopping. The police dislike all
the traffic and arguments that result because
of the crowds, so they nicknamed the day
“Black Friday.”
