The annual Thanksgiving tradition in the United States can be traced back to the 17th century. In 1621, after a hard and devastating first year in the New World, the English Pilgrims had a very successful and plentiful fall harvest. The Pilgrims, who had settled Plymouth Colony (in present day Massachusetts), soon made peace with the local Native American tribe, the Wampanoag. To celebrate the harvest, the Pilgrims and the Native Americans joined together to feast. Since then, an annual day of Thanksgiving has been celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. Thanksgiving is also celebrated in Canada, on the second Monday in October.
A traditional Thanksgiving dinner includes: roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and rolls. No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a pumpkin pie for dessert!
Other Thanksgiving Day traditions include the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade through New York City. Macy's, a famous department store, sponsors the parade. The parade include floats, Santa Claus, and the Radio City Rockettes. Another Thanksgiving tradition includes watching the professional football games that are played in the afternoon. Two teams, the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys, host games every year.
