Top 5 Family Thanksgiving Traditions
Every American family has its own way of celebrating Thanksgiving Day and their set of traditions to follow. From watching a Thanksgiving football game to stuffing the turkey, here are the five traditions that most of the American families are following on one of our most cherished holidays!
Turkey
Having a Turkey on Thanksgiving Day is an old tradition that dates back to 17th century celebrations. National Turkey Federation states that as many as 95% of American citizens have a fried turkey on Thanksgiving Day. There are many variations of this dish including coffee rubbed turkey, roasted turkey, deep fried turkey, salt encrusted turkey and even tofu Turkey for vegetarians. The latter is a compassionate option, because just think about it – Thanksgiving takes lives of more than 50 million turkeys.
Football Games
Football game is a big part of Thanksgiving Day activities and it is as important as pumpkin pie and turkey. Ever since football rivalries became popular, American people can’t live without a good football game on a Thanksgiving Day.
Parades
Although, most people think that the first Thanksgiving Day parade was organized by Macy’s in 1920, in fact it was organized by Gimbel’s Department Store in the state of Philadelphia. Macy’s began to organize parades on a Thanksgiving Day 4 years later and their initiative has eventually transformed into a huge event accompanied by floats, band and big balloons.
Making a Wish
Are there people in your family who fight for a wishbone from the turkey on a Thanksgiving Day? Did you know that this tradition called “lucky break” can be considered ancient without exaggeration? “Lucky break” is a Roman tradition which dates back to 322 B.C. It was brought to England and much later, during the colonization of America, English colonists have brought this tradition to America.
Giving Thanks
And of course, Thanksgiving Day is also about saying thanks to the Lord and to the people and to Mother Nature for all the blessings that they gave to us during the past year. This is a great tradition because many people complain about everything in their life, instead of being thankful for what they have. A great way to express your gratitude on Thanksgiving Day is to volunteer and help those who are living on the outskirts of life.
If you’re planning to spend this year’s Thanksgiving Day with your family it’s a great opportunity to spend some quality time together and go through the old photo albums. It is better to record big family gathering, because time flies fast and who knows what will happen next year. Collect and memorize joyful moments spend with your family. You can create a family cookbook or work on a medical family history. Thanksgiving Day gives us a perfect opportunity to spend more time with our families and preserves its history for a future generation, so don’t miss this chance.
Have a happy 2017 Thanksgiving Day!
