A Day to Give Thanks

By Holly Walker

Cornucopia

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November.

Thanksgiving has officially been an annual tradition in the United States since 1863, when during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26th.

The Pilgrims were a small group of people who went to North America from Europe.

They wanted religious freedom.

The first Thanksgiving was in 1621 when the pilgrims invited the Indians to a three-day feast to celebrate the autumn harvest.

Thanksgiving today is mostly a day to relax and enjoy time with family, especially extended family members.

Families have a large dinner with traditional foods.

People think about the good things in their lives and give thanks.

Some people donate food or volunteer to help people in need.

280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations

Everyone watches the Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC.

At the end of the Parade is Santa Clause, signifying the beginning of the Christmas season.

American Footballis an important part of many Thanksgiving celebrations in the United States.

The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday

This day is the start of the Christmas shopping season.

Stores have a lot of sales, but the sales are limited to a certain number of people.

It is one of the busiest shopping days of the year.