ALL ABOUT THANKSGIVING IN THE USA

Do you know how Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day? We'll tell you all about this popular US holiday!

Thanksgiving used to be celebrated by the pilgrims throughout the year to celebrate a good harvest and didn’t have a specific date. Until 1941, when Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the fourth Thursday in November the official national holiday Thanksgiving. Luckily for Americans, this usually means they get a long weekend, which many use to visit their families. This is why it is one of the most popular holidays for many Americans.

There are many theories about the origins of Thanksgiving, but the most common one is:

• from the times when pioneers and pilgrims first landed at Plymouth Rock
• the pilgrims celebrated their first great harvest with the indigenous Native Americans
• the feast is continued today to give thanks and spend time with family.

So the first Thanksgiving can be traced back to autumn 1621 when the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians shared a meal together and gave thanks for the harvest.

On this national holiday, families gather together to share a large meal with one another. The main focus of Thanksgiving is not the food though, but the importance of family and friends coming together.

The usual Thanksgiving celebrations include:

• eating turkey
• watching American football
• watching the Thanksgiving Parade

It is quite common to use the long weekend to visit family and friends who may no longer live close to you. Americans tend to move often in their lives and may no longer live where they grew up. That is why Thanksgiving is so important. Many Americans get in their cars and make the long drive to gather with their loved ones. It will increase their hunger for the Thanksgiving feast!