History UsefulNotes / ThanksgivingDay

Traditionally, Thanksgiving (nicknamed Turkey Day) involves going home to one's extended family and having an enormous dinner together, made up of turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and other such foods, followed by dessert, usually pumpkin pie and other pies. Since the US is [[MeltingPot nation of immigrants]], Americans from more recent immigrant backgrounds are likely to add in a large number of their traditional dishes, particularly festive ones, so expect (e.g.) a lasagna at an Italian-American Thanksgiving, tamales at a Mexican-American one, pierogis at a Polish one, brisket at a Jewish one, and so on (roast lamb in particular will appear in several traditions, including among Greek-Americans, Arab-Americans, and Armenian-Americans). The time not spent eating is spent either watching parades (some of which, such as the Macy's parade in NewYorkCity, are famous for their enormous character balloons) or TV specials.

The Canadian holiday happens on the second Monday in October, but many of the traditions (a big meal, pumpkins, cornucopias, etc.) are shared. There are some differences, however: there aren't really any Canadian Thanksgiving parades (the only parade on Thanksgiving is actually supposed to be for {{Oktoberfest}}, which is around the same time); Thanksgiving is still considered quasi-religious in Canada, and since the holiday falls in October, the link with the end of the football season isn't really there, although there are usually two Canadian Football League games played that day as "Thanksgiving Classics," which usually involve nearby rivals, such as Toronto vs. Hamilton or Edmonton vs. Calgary.[[note]]For those unfamiliar with Canadian geography, Toronto and Hamilton are both in Ontario, in the central-eastern part of Canada, while Edmonton and Calgary are in Alberta in the west.[[/note]]

Traditionally, Thanksgiving (nicknamed Turkey Day) involves going home to one's extended family and having an enormous dinner together, made up of turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and other such foods, followed by dessert, usually pumpkin pie and other pies. Since the US is [[MeltingPot nation of immigrants]], Americans from more recent immigrant backgrounds are likely to add in a large number of their traditional dishes, particularly festive ones, so expect (e.g.) a lasagna at an Italian-American Thanksgiving, tamales at a Mexican-American one, pierogis at a Polish one, brisket at a Jewish one, and so on (roast lamb in particular will appear in several traditions, including among Greek-Americans, Arab-Americans, and Armenian-Americans). The time not spent eating is spent either watching parades (some of which, such as the Macy's parade in NewYorkCity, are famous for their enormous character balloons) or TV specials. UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball is also a major part of Thanksgiving, with the NFL playing "Thanksgiving Classic" games -- until recently, the only professional game to be played on a weekday (if you're not counting MondayNightFootball). Since 1970, the Classic includes multiple games, one at [[ButtMonkey Detroit]] at half-past noon, and the other at Dallas at 4:15 (all times Eastern); in 2006, a third, rotating game was added in prime time. College and high school teams often play games on Thanksgiving weekend as well, and impromptu family or neighborhood "Turkey Bowl" contests are a tradition in many places.

Traditionally, Thanksgiving (nicknamed Turkey Day) involves going home to one's extended family and having an enormous dinner together, made up of turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and other such foods, followed by dessert, usually pumpkin pie and other pies. The time not spent eating is spent either watching parades (some of which, such as the Macy's parade in NewYorkCity, are famous for their enormous character balloons) or TV specials. UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball is also a major part of Thanksgiving, with the NFL playing "Thanksgiving Classic" games -- until recently, the only professional game to be played on a weekday (if you're not counting MondayNightFootball). Since 1970, the Classic includes multiple games, one at [[ButtMonkey Detroit]] at half-past noon, and the other at Dallas at 4:15 (all times Eastern); in 2006, a third, rotating game was added in prime time. College and high school teams often play games on Thanksgiving weekend as well, and impromptu family or neighborhood "Turkey Bowl" contests are a tradition in many places.

-->--'''UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln''', upon proclaiming the first official recognition of Thanksgiving Day in 1863

->''"The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added... They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens."''\\
--'''UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln''', upon proclaiming the first official recognition of Thanksgiving Day in 1863

Subsequent festivals of national thanksgiving to God were held at irregular intervals. UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington, for instance, declared one to be held on the last Thursday of November, 1789, "acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness." In the early 19th Century, New England novelist Sara Josepha Hale[[note]]also known for writing ''Mary had a Little Lamb''[[/note]] suggested that Americans needed to revive this tradition of giving thanks. In 1846, she started a letter-writing campaign advocating a national day of thanks. She wrote to anybody she thought could help: including Presidents UsefulNotes/ZacharyTaylor, UsefulNotes/MillardFillmore, UsefulNotes/FranklinPierce, UsefulNotes/JamesBuchanan, and UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln. In 1863, seventeen years into Hale's campaign, President Lincoln declared one to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November, 1863, "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." The celebration has been repeated annually ever since, though FranklinDelanoRoosevelt transferred the date of the celebration from the traditional final Thursday to the fourth Thursday of the month (usually the last Thursday, except on the occasion when there are five Thursdays in November).

Subsequent festivals of national thanksgiving to God were held at irregular intervals. UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington, for instance, declared one to be held on the last Thursday of November, 1789, "acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness." In the early 19th Century, New England novelist Sara Josepha Hale[[note]]also known for writing ''Mary had a Little Lamb''[[/note]] suggested that Americans needed to revive this tradition of giving thanks. In 1846, she started a letter-writing campaign advocating a national day of thanks. She wrote to anybody she thought could help: including Presidents UsefulNotes/ZacharyTaylor, UsefulNotes/MillardFillmore, UsefulNotes/FranklinPierce, JamesBuchanan, and UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln. In 1863, seventeen years into Hale's campaign, President Lincoln declared one to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November, 1863, "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." The celebration has been repeated annually ever since, though FranklinDelanoRoosevelt transferred the date of the celebration from the traditional final Thursday to the fourth Thursday of the month (usually the last Thursday, except on the occasion when there are five Thursdays in November).

Subsequent festivals of national thanksgiving to God were held at irregular intervals. UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington, for instance, declared one to be held on the last Thursday of November, 1789, "acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness." In the early 19th Century, New England novelist Sara Josepha Hale[[note]]also known for writing ''Mary had a Little Lamb''[[/note]] suggested that Americans needed to revive this tradition of giving thanks. In 1846, she started a letter-writing campaign advocating a national day of thanks. She wrote to anybody she thought could help: including Presidents UsefulNotes/ZacharyTaylor, UsefulNotes/MillardFillmore, FranklinPierce, JamesBuchanan, and AbrahamLincoln. In 1863, seventeen years into Hale's campaign, President UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln declared one to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November, 1863, "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." The celebration has been repeated annually ever since, though FranklinDelanoRoosevelt transferred the date of the celebration from the traditional final Thursday to the fourth Thursday of the month (usually the last Thursday, except on the occasion when there are five Thursdays in November).

Subsequent festivals of national thanksgiving to God were held at irregular intervals. UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington, for instance, declared one to be held on the last Thursday of November, 1789, "acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness." In the early 19th Century, New England novelist Sara Josepha Hale[[note]]also known for writing ''Mary had a Little Lamb''[[/note]] suggested that Americans needed to revive this tradition of giving thanks. In 1846, she started a letter-writing campaign advocating a national day of thanks. She wrote to anybody she thought could help: including Presidents UsefulNotes/ZacharyTaylor, MillardFillmore, FranklinPierce, JamesBuchanan, and AbrahamLincoln. In 1863, seventeen years into Hale's campaign, President UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln declared one to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November, 1863, "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." The celebration has been repeated annually ever since, though FranklinDelanoRoosevelt transferred the date of the celebration from the traditional final Thursday to the fourth Thursday of the month (usually the last Thursday, except on the occasion when there are five Thursdays in November).

->''The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added... They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.''
-->--'''AbrahamLincoln''', upon proclaiming the first official recognition of Thanksgiving Day in 1863

Subsequent festivals of national thanksgiving to God were held at irregular intervals. GeorgeWashington, for instance, declared one to be held on the last Thursday of November, 1789, "acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness." In the early 19th Century, New England novelist Sara Josepha Hale[[note]]also known for writing ''Mary had a Little Lamb''[[/note]] suggested that Americans needed to revive this tradition of giving thanks. In 1846, she started a letter-writing campaign advocating a national day of thanks. She wrote to anybody she thought could help: including Presidents ZacharyTaylor, MillardFillmore, FranklinPierce, JamesBuchanan, and AbrahamLincoln. In 1863, seventeen years into Hale's campaign, President AbrahamLincoln declared one to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November, 1863, "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." The celebration has been repeated annually ever since, though FranklinDelanoRoosevelt transferred the date of the celebration from the traditional final Thursday to the fourth Thursday of the month (usually the last Thursday, except on the occasion when there are five Thursdays in November).

-->--'''AbrahamLincoln, upon proclaiming the first official recognition of Thanksgiving Day in 1863

-->--'''[[Abraham Lincoln]], upon proclaiming the first official recognition of Thanksgiving Day in 1863

Traditionally, Thanksgiving (nicknamed Turkey Day) involves going home to one's extended family and having an enormous dinner together, made up of turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and other such foods, followed by dessert, usually pumpkin pie and other pies. The time not spent eating is spent either watching parades (some of which, such as the Macy's parade in NewYorkCity, are famous for their enormous character balloons) or TV specials. UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball is also a major part of Thanksgiving, with the NFL playing the Thanksgiving Classic -- until recently, the only professional game to be played on a weekday (if you're not counting MondayNightFootball). Since 1970, the Classic includes multiple games, one at [[ButtMonkey Detroit]] at half-past noon, and the other at Dallas at 4:15 (all times Eastern); in 2006, a third, rotating game was added in prime time. College and high school teams often play games on Thanksgiving weekend as well, and impromptu family or neighborhood "Turkey Bowl" contests are a tradition in many places.

Subsequent festivals of national thanksgiving to God were held at irregular intervals. GeorgeWashington, for instance, declared one to be held on the last Thursday of November, 1789, "acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness." In the early 19th Century, New England novelist Sara Josepha Hale[[hottip:*:also known for writing ''Mary had a Little Lamb'']] suggested that Americans needed to revive this tradition of giving thanks. In 1846, she started a letter-writing campaign advocating a national day of thanks. She wrote to anybody she thought could help: including Presidents ZacharyTaylor, MillardFillmore, FranklinPierce, JamesBuchanan, and AbrahamLincoln. In 1863, seventeen years into Hale's campaign, President AbrahamLincoln declared one to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November, 1863, "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." The celebration has been repeated annually ever since, though FranklinDelanoRoosevelt transferred the date of the celebration from the traditional final Thursday to the fourth Thursday of the month (usually the last Thursday, except on the occasion when there are five Thursdays in November).

The Canadian holiday happens on the second Monday in October, but many of the traditions (a big meal, pumpkins, cornucopias, etc.) are shared. There are some differences, however: there aren't really any Canadian Thanksgiving parades (the only parade on Thanksgiving is actually supposed to be for {{Oktoberfest}}, which is around the same time); Thanksgiving is still considered quasi-religious in Canada, and since the holiday falls in October, the link with the end of the football season isn't really there, although there are usually two Canadian Football League games played that day as "Thanksgiving Classics," which usually involve nearby rivals, such as Toronto vs. Hamilton or Edmonton vs. Calgary.[[hottip:*:For those unfamiliar with Canadian geography, Toronto and Hamilton are both in Ontario, in the central-eastern part of Canada, while Edmonton and Calgary are in Alberta in the west.]]

The Canadian holiday happens on the second Monday in October, but many of the traditions (a big meal, pumpkins, cornucopias, etc.) are shared. There are some differences, however: there aren't really any Canadian Thanksgiving parades (the only parade on Thanksgiving is actually supposed to be for {{Oktoberfest}}, which is around the same time); Thanksgiving is still considered quasi-religious in Canada, and since the holiday falls in October, the link with the end of the football season (yes, there's Canadian football) isn't really there, although there are usually two Canadian Football League games played that day as "Thanksgiving Classics," which usually involve nearby rivals, such as Toronto vs. Hamilton or Edmonton vs. Calgary.[[hottip:*:For those unfamiliar with Canadian geography, Toronto and Hamilton are both in Ontario, in the central-eastern part of Canada, while Edmonton and Calgary are in Alberta in the west.]]

Traditionally, Thanksgiving (nicknamed Turkey Day) involves going home to one's extended family and having an enormous dinner together, made up of turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and other such foods, followed by dessert, usually pumpkin pie and other pies. The time not spent eating is spent either watching parades (some of which, such as the Macy's parade in NewYorkCity, are famous for their enormous character balloons) or TV specials. UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball is also a major part of Thanksgiving, with the NFL playing the Thanksgiving Classic -- until recently, the only professional game to be played on a weekday (if you're not counting MondayNightFootball). Since 1970, the Classic includes multiple games, one at [[ButtMonkey Detroit]] at half-past noon, and the other at Dallas at 4:15 (all times Eastern); in 2006, a third, rotating game was added in prime time. College and high school teams often play games on Thanksgivng weekend as well, and impromptu family or neighborhood "Turkey Bowl" contests are a tradition in many places.

Traditionally, Thanksgiving (nicknamed Turkey Day) involves going home to one's extended family and having an enormous dinner together, made up of turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and other such foods, followed by dessert, usually pumpkin pie and other pies. The time not spent eating is spent either watching parades (some of which, such as the Macy's parade in NewYorkCity, are famous for their enormous character balloons) or TV specials. UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball is also a major part of Thanksgiving, with the NFL playing the Thanksgiving Classic -- until recently, the only professional game to be played on a weekday (if you're not counting MondayNightFootball). Since 1970, the Classic includes multiple games, one at [[ButtMonkey Detroit]] at half-past noon, and the other at Dallas at 4:15 (all times Eastern); in 2006, a third, rotating game was added in prime time. Several colleges also play football games on either Thanksgiving night or the Friday after.

Traditionally, Thanksgiving (nicknamed Turkey Day) involves going home to one's extended family and having an enormous dinner together, made up of turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and other such foods, followed by dessert, usually pumpkin pie and other pies. The time not spent eating is spent either watching parades (some of which, such as the Macy's parade in NewYorkCity, are famous for their enormous character balloons) or TV specials. UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball is also a major part of Thanksgiving, with the NFL playing the Thanksgiving Classic -- until recently, the only professional game to be played on a weekday (if you're not counting MondayNightFootball). Since 1970, the Classic includes multiple games, one at [[ButtMonkey Detroit]] at half-past noon, and the other at Dallas at 4:15 (all times Eastern); in 2006, a third, rotating game was added in prime time. a The NCAA generally plays some games on Thanksgiving night or on the following Friday.

Did we mention that there's also a Thanksgiving in Canada? Its origins aren't so mythologized; it goes back to the explorer Martin Frobisher who had been trying to find a northern passage to the Pacific Ocean. Frobisher's Thanksgiving celebration was not for harvest but was in thanks for surviving the long journey from England through the perils of storms and icebergs. In 1578, on his third and final voyage to these regions, Frobisher held a formal ceremony in Frobisher Bay in Baffin Island (present-day Nunavut) to give thanks to God and in a service ministered by the preacher Robert Wolfall they celebrated Communion — the first-ever service in these regions.[4] Years later, the tradition of a feast would continue as more settlers began to arrive in the Canadian colonies.

The day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday, the official start of the holiday shopping season, so named because shop keepers traditionally hoped to make a lot of money from people shopping for the holiday season, back when profits were hand-written into ledgers in black ink, and losses were written in red ink. In more recent years, "Black" Friday has a more negative connotation for those working in retail, who dread this day with a passion. It's when ''everybody'' goes out shopping, many of them waking up at 3 a.m. to do so (or, in particularly insane instances, camping out overnight in the parking lot), waiting in obscenely long lines, and occasionally getting into fights, because most holiday gifts tend to run out of stock very quickly (toys and high-end electronics have been known to sell out ''within an hour''). If the name "Black Friday" sounds more ominous than the day deserves, note that in 2008, a Wal-Mart employee got ''trampled to death'' right after ''unlocking the front doors.'' The day's name originated in Philadelphia, where it originally was used to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic which would occur on the day after Thanksgiving; use of the term started before 1961 and began to see broader use outside Philadelphia around 1975. Later an alternative explanation began to be offered: that "Black Friday" indicates the point at which retailers begin to turn a profit, or are "in the black".

The day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday, the official start of the holiday shopping season, so named because shop keepers traditionally hoped to make a lot of money from people shopping for the holiday season, back when profits were hand-written into ledgers in black ink, and losses were written in red ink. In more recent years, "Black" Friday has a more negative connotation for those working in retail, who dread this day with a passion. It's when ''everybody'' goes out shopping, many of them waking up at 3 a.m. to do so (or, in particularly insane instances, camping out overnight in the parking lot), waiting in obscenely long lines, and occasionally getting into fights, because most holiday gifts tend to run out of stock very quickly (toys and high-end electronics have been known to sell out ''within an hour''). If the name "Black Friday" sounds more ominous than the day deserves, note that in 2008, a Wal-Mart employee got ''trampled to death'' right after ''unlocking the front doors.''

Did we mention that there's also a Thanksgiving in Canada? Its origins aren't so mythologized, and it happens on the second Monday in October, but many of the traditions (a big meal, pumpkins, cornucopias, etc.) are shared. There are some differences, however: there aren't really any Canadian Thanksgiving parades (the only parade on Thanksgiving is actually supposed to be for {{Oktoberfest}}, which is around the same time); Thanksgiving is still considered quasi-religious in Canada, and since the holiday falls in October, the link with the end of the football season (yes, there's Canadian football) isn't really there, although there are usually two Canadian Football League games played that day as "Thanksgiving Classics," which usually involve nearby rivals, such as Toronto vs. Hamilton or Edmonton vs. Calgary.[[hottip:*:For those unfamiliar with Canadian geography, Toronto and Hamilton are both in Ontario, in the central-eastern part of Canada, while Edmonton and Calgary are in Alberta in the west.]]

Traditionally, Thanksgiving (nicknamed Turkey Day) involves going home to one's extended family and having an enormous dinner together, made up of turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and other such foods, followed by dessert, usually pumpkin pie and other pies. The time not spent eating is spent either watching parades (some of which, such as the Macy's parade in NewYorkCity, are famous for their enormous character balloons) or TV specials. UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball is also a major part of Thanksgiving, with the NFL playing the Thanksgiving Classic -- until recently, the only professional game to be played on a weekday (if you're not counting MondayNightFootball); generally speaking, the Classic has consisted of "Let's watch [[ButtMonkey the Lions get stomped on for three hours]]" and "Let's watch the Cowboys stomp on these other poor schlubs for three hours", although that has changed a little every now and then. The NCAA generally plays some games on Thanksgiving night or on the following Friday.

Traditionally, Thanksgiving (nicknamed Turkey Day) involves going home to one's extended family and having an enormous dinner together, made up of turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and other such foods, followed by dessert, usually pumpkin pie and other pies. The time not spent eating is spent either watching parades (some of which, such as the Macy's parade in NewYorkCity, are famous for their enormous character balloons) or TV specials. UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball is also a major part of Thanksgiving, with the NFL playing the Thanksgiving Classic -- until recently, the only professional game to be played on a weekday (if you're not counting MondayNightFootball). The NCAA generally plays some games on Thanksgiving night or on the following Friday.

Subsequent festivals of national thanksgiving to God were held at irregular intervals. GeorgeWashington, for instance, declared one to be held on the last Thursday of November, 1789, "acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness." In the early 19th Century, New England novelist Sara Josepha Hale[[hottip:*:also known for writing ''Mary had a Little Lamb'']] suggested that Americans needed to revive this tradition of giving thanks. In 1846, she started a letter-writing campaign advocating a national day of thanks. She wrote to anybody she thought could help: including Presidents ZacharyTaylor, MillardFillmore, FranklinPierce, JamesBuchanan, and AbrahamLincoln Lincoln. In 1863, seventeen years into Hale's campaign, President AbrahamLincoln declared one to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November, 1863, "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." The celebration has been repeated annually ever since, though FranklinDelanoRoosevelt transferred the date of the celebration from the traditional final Thursday to the next-to-last Thursday of the month.

Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and the fourth Thursday of November in the United States .

ThanksgivingDay is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and the fourth Thursday of November in the United States .

The choice of meat at the original feast is thought by historians to have been venison, but Ms. Hale put turkey on the map by publishing a Thanksgiving edition of her magazine, including turkey-centric feasts[[hottip:*:turkeys were native to the New York area; if she'd been Southern, we might be talking about Thanksgiving ham instead (which isn't an uncommon alternative for those who don't like turkey...and many families even have turkey ''and'' ham for Thanksgiving dinner). The poultry industry capitalized on this through heavy advertising and PR events in the first half of the 20th century, cementing turkey as the Thanksgiving meal of choice, with an assist from the US military, which served turkey to the troops on Thanksgiving as the standard holiday meal thanks to turkey being relatively cheap. The tradition continues in the armed forces to this day, even resulting in the creation of a platoon-sized forward deployable Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all the trimmings, so troops on the front lines can have a taste of home. The President these days receives two live turkeys for Thanksgiving, who receive Presidential pardons and a cushy life at a DC local petting zoo.

Traditionally, Thanksgiving (nicknamed Turkey Day) involves going home to one's extended family and having an enormous dinner together, made up of turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and other such foods, followed by dessert, usually pumpkin pie and other pies. The time not spent eating is spent either watching parades (some of which, such as the Macy's parade in NewYorkCity, are famous for their enormous character balloons) or TV specials. [[UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball Football]] is also a major part of Thanksgiving, with the NFL playing the Thanksgiving Classic -- until recently, the only professional game to be played on a weekday (if you're not counting MondayNightFootball); historically this was the game during which the whole eastern part of the country would see who the Dallas Cowboys would beat up and who will beat up the [[MotorCity Detroit]] Lions, although more games are played in this age of cable and satellite TV. The NCAA generally plays some games on Thanksgiving night or on the following Friday.