Thanksgiving Day

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• Mentioned Thanksgiving Day, most of us regard it as a special time of harvest, caring and sharing and showing our fgratefulness to the surrounding people and to all wonderful things in our world. Roasted turkey, pumpkin pie, sweet corn, pumpkin and other fall vegtables and fruit has become the essential elements of the festival in most people's opinions.
  Then how much do you know about Thanksgiving Day? In this part, you can get a general knowledge of Thanksgiving Day, including the history of the Thanksgiving, tranditional celebratings and something else. Drink a cup of coffee and get closer to the festival with us! Just have fun with this festival!

  1) Brief introduction of Thanksgiving Day 2) History and origin of America's annual Thanksgiving Day 3) Traditional Celebrations -- Food -- Giving Thanks -- Vacation and travel -- Parades 4) Others -- Thanksgiving dates, 2009–2014 -- How to Make Your Thanksgiving Turkey

Brief introduction of Thanksgiving Day

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• Thanksgiving Day, or Thanksgiving, presently celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, has been an annual tradition in the United States since 1863. It did not become a federal holiday until 1941. Thanksgiving was historically a religious observation to give thanks to God, and is still celebrated as such by most religious families, but it is now considered a secular holiday as well.
  
  Most Americans celebrate by gathering at home with family or friends for a holiday feast. Though the holiday's origins can be traced to harvest festivals which have been celebrated in many cultures since ancient times, the American holiday is tied to the deliverance of the English settlers by Native Americans after the harsh winter at Plymouth, Massachusetts and that event has become the pre-eminent foundation story for English North America.

History and origin of America's annual Thanksgiving Day

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• The Pilgrims left Plymouth, England, on September 6, 1620. Their destination? The New World. Although filled with uncertainty and peril, it offered both civil and religious liberty.
  For over two months, the 102 passengers braved the harsh elements of a vast storm-tossed sea. Finally, with firm purpose and a reliance on Divine Providence, the cry of "Land!" was heard.
  Arriving in Massachusetts in late November, the Pilgrims sought a suitable landing place. On December 11, just before disembarking at Plymouth Rock, they signed the "Mayflower Compact" - America's first document of civil government and the first to introduce self-government.
  After a prayer service, the Pilgrims began building hasty shelters. However, unprepared for the starvation and sickness of a harsh New England winter, nearly half died before spring. Yet, persevering in prayer, and assisted by helpful Indians, they reaped a bountiful harvest the following summer.
  The grateful Pilgrims then declared a three-day feast, starting on December 13, 1621, to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends. While this was not the first Thanksgiving in America (thanksgiving services were held in Virginia as early as 1607), it was America's first Thanksgiving Festival.
  
  In 1789, following a proclamation issued by President George Washington, America celebrated its first Day of Thanksgiving to God under its new constitution. That same year, the Protestant Episcopal Church, of which President Washington was a member, announced that the first Thursday in November would become its regular day for giving thanks, "unless another day be appointed by the civil authorities." Yet, despite these early national proclamations, official Thanksgiving observances usually occurred only at the State level.
  
  Much of the credit for the adoption of a later ANNUAL national Thanksgiving Day may be attributed to Mrs. Sarah Joseph Hale, the editor of Godey's Lady's Book. For thirty years, she promoted the idea of a national Thanksgiving Day, contacting President after President until President Abraham Lincoln responded in 1863 by setting aside the last Thursday of November as a national Day of Thanksgiving. Over the next seventy-five years, Presidents followed Lincoln's precedent, annually declaring a national Thanksgiving Day. Then, in 1941, Congress permanently established the fourth Thursday of each November as a national holiday.

Traditional celebrations

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• 〖Food〗

  U.S. tradition compares the holiday with a meal held in 1621 by the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims who settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts. It is continued in modern times with the Thanksgiving dinner, traditionally featuring turkey, playing a large role in the celebration of Thanksgiving.
  
  In the United States, certain kinds of food are traditionally served at Thanksgiving meals. Firstly, baked or roasted turkey is usually the featured item on any Thanksgiving feast table (so much so that Thanksgiving is sometimes referred to as "Turkey Day"). Stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet corn, other fall vegetables, and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner. All of these are actually native to the Americas or were introduced as a new food source to the Europeans when they arrived. As an alternative to turkey, many vegetarians or vegans eat tofurky, a meatless turkey made of tofu. The less fortunate are often provided with food at Thanksgiving time. Most communities have annual food drives that collect non-perishable packaged and canned foods, and corporations sponsor charitable distributions of staple foods and Thanksgiving dinners.

  
  

  〖Giving Thanks〗

  Thanksgiving was originally a religious observance for all the members of the community to give thanks to God for a common purpose. Historic reasons for community thanksgivings are the 1541 thanksgiving mass after the expedition of Coronado safely crossing part of Texas and finding game, and the 1777 thanksgiving after the victory in the revolutionary battle of Saratoga. In his 1789 Proclamation, President Washington gave many noble reasons for a national Thanksgiving, including “for the civil and religious liberty,” for “useful knowledge,” and for God’s “kind care” and "His Providence."The only presidents to inject a specifically Christian focus to their proclamation have been Grover Cleveland in 1896, and William McKinley in 1900. Several other presidents have cited the Judeo-Christian tradition. Gerald Ford's 1975 declaration made no clear reference to any divinity.The tradition of giving thanks to God is continued today in various forms. Various religious and spiritual organizations offer services and events on Thanksgiving themes the week-end before, the day of, or the week-end after Thanksgiving.
  
  At home, it is a holiday tradition in many families to begin the Thanksgiving dinner by saying grace (a prayer before or after a meal).Traditionally grace was led by the hostess or host, though in later times it is usual for others to contribute.

  
  

  〖Vacation and travel〗

  During Thanksgiving Day families and friends usually gather for a large meal or dinner. Consequently the Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Thanksgiving is a four-day or five-day weekend vacation for schools and colleges. Most business and government workers (78% in 2007) are given Thanksgiving and the day after as paid holidays. Thanksgiving Eve, the night before Thanksgiving, is one of the busiest nights of the year for bars and clubs, as many college students and others return to their hometowns to reunite with friends and family..

  
  

  〖Parades〗

  In New York City, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is held annually every Thanksgiving Day from the Upper West Side of Manhattan to Macy's flagship store in Herald Square, and televised nationally by NBC. The parade features parade floats with specific themes, scenes from Broadway plays, large balloons of cartoon characters and TV personalities, and high school marching bands. The float that traditionally ends the Macy's Parade is the Santa Claus float, the arrival of which is an unofficial sign of the beginning of the Christmas season.

Others

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• 〖Thanksgiving dates, 2009–2014〗

  * November 26, 2009 * November 25, 2010 * November 24, 2011 * November 22, 2012 * November 28, 2013 * November 27, 2014

  
  

  〖How to Make Your Thanksgiving Turkey〗

  Step 1: Choosing your turkey
  Fresh vs. Frozen - The biggest difference between a fresh and frozen bird is that a fresh turkey -- which most grocery stores carry in abundance around Thanksgiving time -- is ready to be prepped. Frozen birds, on the other hand, need to be thawed, which, depending on the size of the turkey, can take several days. That said, frozen turkeys tend to cost less -- often times significantly less -- than their fresh counterparts.
  Size - As a general rule of thumb, plan on 1 to 1.5 pounds of uncooked turkey per guest at your Thanksgiving table.
  There are two types of turkeys: Hens, which are smaller, and toms, which are larger. Hen turkeys can run from less than 10 pounds to up to 17 or 18 pounds. Toms usually start around 18 pounds and can be as large as 25+ pounds. According to the University of Illinois' Turkey Facts website, the average Thanksgiving turkey purchased in America is 15 pounds.
  White vs. Dark Meat - A typical turkey is about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat.
  
  Step2: Prep your bird
  Once you have selected and defrosted (if necessary) your turkey, it is time to prep your bird. While some chefs swear by deep-frying their turkeys, the classic method of turkey preparation is roasting.
  If you have never roasted a turkey before, or if your turkeys always turn out dry, here is a handy guide to preparing the perfect Thanksgiving bird.

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 2. Remove the turkey from its packaging, but save the wrapping for its information on suggested cooking times. 3. Remove and discard the metal or plastic braces that are holding the legs in place. 4. Remove the giblets and neck. If you plan to cook these with the bird or use them in your stuffing, set them aside. You can also freeze them (if your turkey was fresh) to use later for turkey stock. Or you can cook them (wrapped inside tin foil) and feed them to your pets. 5. Wash the turkey thoroughly, inside and out, with cold running tap water. Water from the cavity of the bird should eventually run clear, i.e. no blood. 6. Trim away any excess skin and fat from the neck and bottom of the turkey. 7. Place the turkey, breast side up, in a non-shallow roasting pan. 8. If you are planning to stuff the bird, you might want to first line the roasting pan with celery and onions or an herbal bundle (thyme, rosemary and sage all complement the natural flavor of turkey). Then stuff the bird with your homemade stuffing. (or check out our top rated stuffing recipes) 9. If you are not planning to stuff the bird, fill the cavity with one or more of the following to enhance the flavor of the meat: celery and onions; an herb bouquet; chopped apples; or even a whole orange or lemon (punctured with fork tines to release more flavor). 10. Pour a stick of melted butter or margarine over the turkey. Some cut calories by spraying the turkey with a flavored non-stick spray, such as Pam®. While the spray does help the skin to crisp up, it does not produce as much flavorful gravy as butter and margarine do. 11. Season the turkey by rubbing herbs or seasoning in to the skin of the bird. Chose from any combination of freshly ground sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, dried onions or onion powder, minced garlic, sage, savory, lemon pepper, lemon juice or basil. Let your taste buds -- and your imagination -- guide you. 12. Pour 2 cups of water into the bottom of the roasting pan and insert a meat thermometer deep into the thigh area. 13. Place the pan into the preheated oven. Open the oven door first, as the pan will be extremely heavy, particularly if your bird is stuffed. Set a timer for the length of time recommended on the packaging, which will be between three and six hours, depending on the size of the turkey (and your individual oven). Be sure to check on the bird every hour and baste it each time. When done, the outside skin will be brown and lightly crispy, the meat thermometer will register at least 180 degrees, and both legs and wings will move easily. A well-cooked bird will have tender, moist meat; an overcooked one will have dry (and potentially flavorless) meat. 14. Remove the turkey from oven and let it sit on your counter for about 20-30 minutes before carving. Cover with a roasting pan lid, especially if you have animals at home.

  And there you have it: 14 relatively simple steps to the perfect Thanksgiving turkey.