November
A Frog & A Turkey: American Thanksgiving Day Traditions
If you find yourself in New York City this November 24th, you will be one of 3.5 million people lucky enough to get a glimpse of a 78 foot long Kermit the Frog. Of course this is just a balloon, part of the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - a televised event watched by over 50 million Americans every year.
There are many American cultural traditions associated with Thanksgiving as well. For example, did you know every year the President of the United States "pardons" a turkey? This turkey is then entitled to live the rest of its life peacefully on a farm near Washington D.C. The tradition is a joke referring to the power of the U.S. President to pardon convicted criminals.
So, where does the Thanksgiving holiday originate from and why turkey? Each year, on the fourth Thursday in November, Americans celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, which often includes gathering with family, eating a large meal, watching (American) football and spending time together. There are multiple explanations of the origins of Thanksgiving, and the location of the first celebration. The holiday is primarily a celebration giving thanks for a good harvest season, a tradition celebrated in many different ways around the world. The most common explanation of the American Thanksgiving describes a 1621 feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts, held by European Pilgrims and natives from the Wampanoag tribe. For most families, turkey is the main component of the Thanksgiving holiday meal. This is why the holiday is often given the nickname "Turkey Day", despite the lack of evidence the first celebrations actually included turkey.
The day after Thanksgiving, known as "Black Friday", is the busiest shopping day of the year. Stores and online retailers offer amazing discounts, some requiring shoppers to buy their merchandise in the middle of the night, in an effort to attract people who are starting to buy Christmas gifts. For many merchants, Thanksgiving weekend can make the difference between profit and loss for the whole year, which makes it a very important weekend for the U.S. economy.
Many of the nation’s most beautiful places and important historic and cultural sites are designated as National Parks, and maintained by the U.S. government. Visiting a national park is a great way for you to experience a quintessential part of U.S. culture during your program.
The National Parks system includes: the Florida wetlands, giant California redwood trees, a North Atlantic fjord, natural stone arches in the Utah desert, caves beneath New Mexico and Kentucky; bison (buffalo) herds on the North Dakota prairie, a Pacific Northwest rainforest, cliff dwellings of ancient peoples of Colorado, and the great monuments of Washington, D.C.
Learn more at:
www.nps.gov