What is Thanksgiving and Should We Celebrate it?

There are many traditions that our friends across in the USA celebrate that are making their way across the Atlantic to the UK.  Halloween is a prime example – while it originated here, it is the Americans who have made it the holiday it is today.  Thanksgiving is a very American holiday that is becoming popular to celebrate here in the UK, especially if you have friends who are from the US originally.  So what is it all about and how would we celebrate it?

Roots of Thanksgiving

The idea behind Thanksgiving is based in the traditions of the first Pilgrims and Puritans who travelled to the US back in the 1600s.  These settlers arrived in 1621 and were thankful when their first harvest produced crucial supplies for their new settlement so celebrated the event.  Therefore the root of Thanksgiving is similar to the harvest festivals celebrated around the world – celebrating a time of plenty when all the work of the year has produced the food needed to survive the winter.

Today, Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the US and is a secular holiday focused on spending time with family and friends as well as eating and drinking.  It is a time for larger gatherings that is typical at Christmas with ‘the more, the merrier’ being something of a saying for the occasion.  Americans also worry a lot about people being on their own at Thanksgiving and make a great effort to ensure no-one is by themselves.  The holiday is celebrated on the 4^th Thursday of November.

Thanksgiving traditions

One of the biggest traditions at Thanksgiving is football – not as we think of it, that’s soccer over in the US, but American Football.  There are usually at least three games on during the big day with around twelve hours of televised sports for fans.  The ThanksgivingDay Parade at Macy’s in New York has also become a huge tradition, for those visiting the city or just to watch on TV. 

However the biggest part of the traditions associated with Thanksgiving are around the food.  It isn’t the best time to be a turkey in the US, as this is the main meat for the day, though the President does traditionally pardon one each year at a fun ceremony at the White House.  Classic turkey served with stuffing is usually the centrepiece of the table.  Mash potatoes, glazed carrots and cranberry sauce are also found on most American tables while a green bean casserole is a side dish made with green beans and crusty Italian bread.  Cornbread is another dish we in the UK aren’t too familiar with that plays a big part.

For dessert, pumpkins are the top ingredient, a link to the harvest season origins of the holiday.  Pumpkin pie is one dish that is easy to make at home and is a great excuse to get out the personalised baking setthe kids got you for your birthday to put them to good use.  If you aren’t keen on pie, then pumpkin cheesecake or pumpkin bread pudding make themed alternatives.