Thanksgiving is a day about giving and it is filled with many traditions that began long ago. Every year most Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November. Some people travel to go see the rest of their families and some don’t.

Thanksgiving was a day of giving thanks and being grateful for the harvest and it was also a day to celebrate a new year. The biggest tradition of Thanksgiving is the feast, most importantly, the turkey. The reason we eat turkey is because back then other animals weren’t available or other animals were needed for other things.

Other traditional foods are sweet potatoes, stuffing, cornbread, and cranberry sauce. For desert most families serve different flavors of pies, pumpkin being the traditional flavor.

Another big part of Thanksgiving traditions is watching the football game and/or watching the parade. Most families watch the New York City Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade began with stores who wanted to bring up Christmas shopping, so in order to attract customers, stores like Macy’s sponsored the parade to get their name out there. The first parade was held in 1924.

A lot of people also use Thanksgiving to help others who are less fortunate. Some people will volunteer to help serve food at the homeless shelter or at a nursing home. Some people even cook a whole meal for another family.

Thanksgiving is a day to be thankful for everything you have and to give to others and help others who are in need.