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Last updated on November 25th, 2022
Festivals and holidays are there to bring people together. People eagerly await Thanksgiving Day, a widely celebrated holiday in the US. On the day, they keep themselves busy doing various activities, including preparing special dishes. People across the US are festive on this day, making it the most celebrated holiday and the most significant dinner of the year.
Thanksgiving Day can look like something unique to those new in the United States. This is a secular holiday with no religion attached to its history.
People across the country cook various dishes and many wear Thanksgiving theme custom clothing to make this memorable.
The History of Thanksgiving
There has yet to be a consensus among American historians about the origin of Thanksgiving. But many historians say Thanksgiving originated in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1621. It all started with the Mayflower, a ship carrying English pilgrims to the new world of America, arriving at its coast. The English pilgrims lost many lives; the rest were saved with the help of the native Wampanoag Indians and survived the cold winter of the New World.
When the summer of 1621 yielded a great harvest, they organized a traditional three-day harvest festival. It is said that the festival and a big fest were for thanking the natives for their help. The spirit of Thanksgiving comes out of that historical background. Thanksgiving Day helps us keep that nearly 400-year-old day in Americans’ memory.
Thanksgiving after the harvest has been more commonly celebrated since the second half of the 1600s. It later became an annual event of celebration amongst most people. But different celebrations took place in those times on different days. Later, George Washington, the first US president, announced the first Thanksgiving Day in 1789.
An Official Public Holiday
President Roosevelt signed a bill on November 26, 1941, to officially make the fourth Thursday in November the national holiday of Thanksgiving Day.
Thanksgiving Day is by law approved as a Federal Holiday in the United States. It is also a public holiday, meaning state governments’ offices remain closed.
Thanksgiving Day has also been celebrated in Canada on the second Monday in October since 1957 and is a statutory holiday in Most parts of the country.
After Thanksgiving Day, people in more than 20 states of the US take a long weekend to go on a trip or visit family and friends. It all starts the next day on Black Friday.
Today, it is about people celebrating it to thank for what they have in life. So, family and friends celebrate it together and enjoy the meal that includes turkey, mashed potatoes, juice, gravy, pumpkin pie, and stuffing.
Though Thanksgiving is not really a gift-giving day, it’s fun to exchange gifts and eat various foods on the day. You can take Thanksgiving gift ideas and various gifts from PrintShop by Designhill — the world’s leading creative marketplace.
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A Typical Thanksgiving Day Celebration Schedule
Thanksgiving Day is a huge event in the USA, and so are the celebrations. So, the festive mood prevails everywhere. People set their minds and emotions to prepare themselves to be one with the festive world.
Usually, people follow a schedule of what they do during the day. So, while each may have a slightly different celebration plan, there is still a traceable pattern.
Here Is What A Typical Thanksgiving Day Schedule Of The Common Americans Looks Like
9:00 am-10:00 am – Start The Day by Watching Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is amongst the chief attractions for Americans on the day. The parade is held in New York City and is named after the US-based department store chain Macy’s.
It is the oldest Thanksgiving Day parade. The second oldest is in Detroit. So, an average American starts the day by either seeing the parade in person or watching it on TV.
10:00 am-12:00 pm – It is Shopping Time
Since most people get a day off from work or have a short day, they can enjoy shopping. Most of them throng grocery stores, which are generally kept open for the first half of the day. Because of the heavy crowd, people visit the stores as early as possible to access groceries at discounts.
Many Americans prepare the Thanksgiving celebrations well in advance by ordering or creating custom gifts, such as Thanksgiving t-shirts, Thanksgiving tote bags, etc.
12:00 pm-01:00 pm – Watch The President Pardoning A Turkey
A tradition associated with Thanksgiving Day is the US President ‘pardoning’ one or two turkeys to spare the birds from being slaughtered for the day. That event is telecast and watched by Americans.
01:00 pm-06:00 pm – Watching American Football and Cooking
American football games are part of the Thanksgiving Day culture of the country. Most people have their favorite teams and cheer for them. Some people prefer to wear a custom t-shirt of the team they support.Game-watching goes almost all day long until dinner time.
Along with watching the game of football, there are preparations for the Thanksgiving Day meal. The meal may take hours to get finally ready. On the other hand, depending on the meal and the number of people to be served, the meal may take days.
06:00 pm-10:00 pm – Eat More Meals
Another great feature of Thanksgiving Day is eating as much food as possible. This is the day centered around food. So, it is all about preparing different meals and eating all day.
Thanksgiving Dinner Preparations
Thanksgiving Day is mostly about meal preparations and eating. But it is dinner time that people await excitedly. Most families spend the day preparing food, and it takes many hours to prepare the ingredients.
Here Are The Main Preparations:
01. Turkey
The turkey tops the list of Thanksgiving Day feasts. People have a turkey roasted, smoked, fired, or brined. The intention is to blend the animal’s outer skin and inner meat perfectly.
02. Stuffing
Turkey cooking is not just a simple preparation. Instead, a lot of stuffing of various spices and ingredients goes into it. Such ingredients include onions, celery, cornbread, and dried cranberries. The cooking of turnkey takes hours to make it moist and meaty.
03. Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry juice is another preparation that goes into the festivities involved during the day. The sauce is the juicy flavor of turkey. People generally prepare it at home for the day and avoid the canned variety.
04. Gravy
Turkey gravy is achieved from the drippings on the bottom of the pan while removing the turkey from the oven. The gravy is a meaty sauce. Mostly, the sauce gets applied to nearly all the meals of the day.
05. Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are the most delicious filling and dish for Thanksgiving Day. You get this dish by putting that gravy and smothering it in the sauce.
06. Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie is a dessert used for Thanksgiving Day. But after eating the main dishes multiple times, eating pumpkin pie could be challenging for many. So, its leftovers are usually consumed in the following day’s breakfast.
In fact, plenty of food remains from the festivities, and it is then mostly eaten for the weekend.
Black Friday Shopping Spree
Once the Thanksgiving Day celebration is over, another festivity by the name of Black Friday is awaiting the next day. It is now a part of Thanksgiving as it starts the holiday shopping season. Black Friday is a significant shopping attraction since almost every shop offers huge discounts to consumers. That prompts shoppers to buy things running from one store to another in search of attractive discounts and the best deals.
Those who want to avoid crowds can wait for a few more days until Cyber Monday. This is the day when people can buy things online at heavy discounts. Be it custom clothing, custom tote bags, or any other personalized products, you can design and order on your own on a creative marketplace website at surprisingly low prices.
Tips For Hosting Thanksgiving For The First Time
If you are new to hosting Thanksgiving or any other holiday, heed some considerations. You may find hosting intimidating due to some responsibilities and activities involved. However, you will be recognized as a successful host with the proper preparation and steps taken.
Here Is What You Need To Do:
01. Plan Well In Advance
First, make sure that you have figured out everything well in advance. You need to know how many people will attend and where you will serve the meal. Are you going to prepare the recipes you already know about, or are you adding some surprises for the guests?
Since food is a central dinner item, figure out your menu and prepare those dishes ahead of time. Put a backing and cooking schedule in place. Most importantly, know how long your turkey will require to thaw if you buy a frozen turkey safely.
02. Get Help
Do not be ashamed to ask for help if it is available to you or if someone offers it. There is a lot of work to do to make the occasion memorable. So, you may need help to move furniture around or go to the liquor store for wine and beer. Let people do the job for you if they volunteer. Do not be too proud of organizing it all by yourself.
03. Set The Table Right
Your guest will sit around the table for dinner on the day. So, how you set the table will matter greatly for leaving a good impression. Set the table at least the day before hosting the dinner. You will then know what is lacking and meet the requirement. So, you may find a shortage of spoons or utensils.
You will also make a great-looking flower arrangement that is affordable and does not overwhelm the guests. Make sure to arrange a nice tablecloth and napkins and meet other such needs.
04. Buy Groceries and Beverages
You should be buying your groceries well in advance to prepare dishes. Make a list of items you need to buy from the store. You may need to run back to the grocery store whenever you need to add more.
Remember to stock beverages as they are an essential part of the celebrations for Thanksgiving day. Also, remember to stock non-alcoholic beverages for children.
05. Be Part of It
Make sure that you also enjoy the celebrations and dinner. You should not look out of place when guests arrive because of your messy look. Pick your Thanksgiving outfit for the day early and ensure that it looks impressive. To make the celebration memorable, you can wear custom clothing and gift your guests personalized Thanksgiving t-shirts as a gift and token of love.
All you need to do is to look happy for your guests. Still, despite the preparation, if something goes wrong and is out of the plan, do not worry. Your guest will be there to help. After all, the day is about getting together. Have fun!
So, these are the key things to remember while preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with your family and friends.
You may also need some help creating impressive graphic designs or Thanksgiving-themed custom clothings or custom gifts to make the occasion memorable. For example, you may think of sending a nicely designed Thanksgiving card digitally or physically to your dear ones. If so, Designhill can help meet your design requirements with its talented team of designers.
Wrapping Up
Thanksgiving Day is one of the US most awaited and celebrated holidays. People spend this day cooking several dishes that are typical to the occasion. Then they take a specially prepared dinner. The next day is dedicated to shopping which goes on for days.