Photo credit: AndrewDallos Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade via photopin (license)
Thanksgiving.
It’s here again, and unless you’re from the US or Canada, you might be wondering what the fuss is all about. If, like me, your only experience of the event is from the movies and television, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s all about eating turkey with the family. To me, that sounds like a British Christmas – so what is it all about, and what are they giving thanks for?
Here’s a quick introduction: It is indeed a national holiday and was originally a celebration of the harvest and the year gone by. Interestingly, the Canadians and the Americans celebrate on different dates – in Canada they stuff themselves on the second Monday of October wheareas in the USA they do the same on the fourth Thursday of November. The difference is said to be due to the earlier harvest in the north.
So there you go, that wasn’t difficult, was it? Turkey and all the trimmings followed by pumpkin pie seems to be the meal of choice and you are expected to eat until you can barely function – much like the Christmas dinner I am used to.
An aspect of Thanksgiving that may be of interest to all readers is the tradition of having huge sales the day after. “Black Friday” (and more recently, the following “Cyber Monday”) are traditions that have spread from the USA to Europe and beyond and are a great opportunity to pick up a bargain on that travel luggage, electronic gadget or other “essential”. Indeed Black Friday is renowned for being the best day of the year to save money. But queues will be fierce, so stick to online shopping unless you have sharp elbows, as they say in Norway.
One more thing – another classic tradition is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan, New York. Now in its 90th year, the parade is beamed live on television in the States but nothing beats seeing it for yourself. So if you happen to be in the Big Apple, get down to Macy’s and enjoy the spectacle.
To finish, here are some amazing facts about the parade…Happy Thanksgiving!
How Much Does the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Cost Created By: Ebates
