Thanksgiving​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ is one of the largest celebrations in the United States. Yet it is a modest day that brings values of gratitude to the surface, closeness to family, and love for the community.

A huge feast is one of the Thanksgiving-related milestones. So many families and friends gather for eating what mainly consist of: turkey, delicious sides, cranberry sauce, mashed potato, and pumpkin pie. Besides the more basic foods that you see on the Thanksgiving table many families have begun to add in their own type of food traditions as well. Some of the side dishes may be macaroni and cheese, sweet potato casserole, or green beans.

“Thanksgiving is not a Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie,” junior Ellie Franklin said.

The meal is not only there for the eating but also the recognition of the past year’s blessings. A lot of people around the table disclose the things they are grateful for, and this whole activity helps them to put their focus on gratitude rather than on food.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is another important tradition that started back in 1924. So nowadays, it includes monster balloons, innovative floats, and also bands on foot with the possible addition of musical gatherings. Millions of people prefer to watch this in front of their screens although thousands of people are present in New York City to watch.

Pro football matches on Thanksgiving are a long-time practice since 1934 and are a long-standing tradition for sports fans on that particular day. Furthermore, some families even take part in their own scrimmages of fun football games.

“Football and Thanksgiving are interlocked as closely as turkey and stuffing,” Junior Justin Kraner said.

Besides that, it is also a period when a lot of people decide on doing good works for the less fortunate people. Such people take up a volunteer job at the local shelters, join in the packaging of meals intended for the needy, and also provide food and clothing donations. The helping hand tradition is really the heart of the Holiday’s core message being grateful by showing gratitude through giving back. It is also an alert that warns people that there are some who don’t have the amenities to sit at a beautiful table nor to make memories with the ones they love.

In the end, Thanksgiving is just not a simple day off in school or out of work. It is a holiday which brings up nice ways in honor of gratitude, family, and kindness. The very events of the past are, from the gratitude march, the feast, the football games, to the helping hand, gathering people in quite a unique manner, which indeed have lasted for ages and still hold a significant place in American culture ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌nowadays.