Thanksgiving Day 2011
Though you will find special holidays for gratitude in a handful of countries all over the world – Canada and Liberia, for example – nowhere other than the United States has turned it into a central part of several aspects of national culture. For this reason, Thanksgiving Day 2011 is reason to do more than express appreciation for the blessings of the previous year, it’s a time to gather with family and friends to partake in the annual rituals associated with the last Thursday in November.
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Are you new to the United States or wondering when all the festivities kick off this November 24th? Here are some pointers on three major traditions associated with the holiday:
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
For many families, the morning begins with breakfast in front of the television. First held in 1926, the famous Macy’s Parade is a popular way to get in the holiday spirit. Groups of all kinds perform on the 2.65-mile course – everything from high school marching bands to the latest music stars. This year, for example, pop songstress Avril Lavigne will head up the performances, joined by this year’s American Idol winner Scott McCreery, rapper Cee Lo Green, and the greatest singer-songwriter of his or any generation, Neil Diamond. Festivities begin at 9am in New York, culminating with the arrival of Santa Claus.
Football Games
As dinner is served, many fathers and sons will be left with a tough decision: join the rest of the family at the table or snag a prime spot on the couch for some gridiron action. A tradition since long before the rise of broadcast networks beaming the games into every home, the matchups in Detroit and Dallas are woven into the fabric of Thanksgiving. In recent years, the schedule has been expanded to include an additional pair of teams, meaning some ten hours of professional football will be played – which doesn’t include college battles like Texas and Texas A&M. The biggest game of the day occurs up in Michigan, where the defending champion Green Bay Packers will play the up-and-coming Detroit Lions.
Opening of the Christmas Shopping Season
Traditionally, the day after Thanksgiving is the largest shopping day of the year. Known as “Black Friday” because it is often when stores go “in the black” financially, retailers compete to create the most appealing deals for Americans’ hard-earned dollars as the holiday shopping period begins. Entire families spend a portion of Thursday evening scouting the ads and formulating a plan of attack to cover all the bases for the deepest discounts. Though events have been marred in recent years by injuries to shoppers who have been trampled by impatient crowds, stores continue to strategize new ways to attract buyers. Major companies like Best Buy have taken to opening at midnight this year to avoid long waits in cold temperatures for their customers. Walmart, in a move that has some decrying employees’ ability to spend time with their families, has decided to open at 10pm – the first time a large retailer has begun the sale on the holiday itself.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
For many families, the morning begins with breakfast in front of the television. First held in 1926, the famous Macy’s Parade is a popular way to get in the holiday spirit. Groups of all kinds perform on the 2.65-mile course – everything from high school marching bands to the latest music stars. This year, for example, pop songstress Avril Lavigne will head up the performances, joined by this year’s American Idol winner Scott McCreery, rapper Cee Lo Green, and the greatest singer-songwriter of his or any generation, Neil Diamond. Festivities begin at 9am in New York, culminating with the arrival of Santa Claus.
Football Games
As dinner is served, many fathers and sons will be left with a tough decision: join the rest of the family at the table or snag a prime spot on the couch for some gridiron action. A tradition since long before the rise of broadcast networks beaming the games into every home, the matchups in Detroit and Dallas are woven into the fabric of Thanksgiving. In recent years, the schedule has been expanded to include an additional pair of teams, meaning some ten hours of professional football will be played – which doesn’t include college battles like Texas and Texas A&M. The biggest game of the day occurs up in Michigan, where the defending champion Green Bay Packers will play the up-and-coming Detroit Lions.
Opening of the Christmas Shopping Season
Traditionally, the day after Thanksgiving is the largest shopping day of the year. Known as “Black Friday” because it is often when stores go “in the black” financially, retailers compete to create the most appealing deals for Americans’ hard-earned dollars as the holiday shopping period begins. Entire families spend a portion of Thursday evening scouting the ads and formulating a plan of attack to cover all the bases for the deepest discounts. Though events have been marred in recent years by injuries to shoppers who have been trampled by impatient crowds, stores continue to strategize new ways to attract buyers. Major companies like Best Buy have taken to opening at midnight this year to avoid long waits in cold temperatures for their customers. Walmart, in a move that has some decrying employees’ ability to spend time with their families, has decided to open at 10pm – the first time a large retailer has begun the sale on the holiday itself.
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