Thanksgiving Day- Celebration Tips And Ideas

Thanksgiving is easily the most family-oriented holidays on the calendar. People find time to cozy up with their friends and family and express their thanks to everyone in their professional and personal lives.

Families, friends and business owners gather together for a turkey dinner well complemented by all the traditional side dishes. One of the busiest shopping seasons of the year, Thanksgiving holiday is also the time for families to start their Christmas and New Year shopping.

Thanksgiving Traditions
Originally observed as a simple church service day to thank God for the year’s blessings, Thanksgiving has evolved a lot over the past. Apart from dinners and feasts, it is the time for business owners to thanks their patrons and to run fund raising events for the lesser privileged.

Feasting on big fat Thanksgiving dinners and on leftovers for the week to come is a tradition for most people. Roasted or baked turkey served with mashed potatoes corn on the cob, butternut squash and pumpkin pie are some of the traditional delicacies.

On Thanksgiving Day of 2015, an average American family had spent $50.11 for their Thanksgiving spread and ate more food than on any other day of the year!

The legacy of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day dates back to 1621 when the Plymouth Pilgrim community joined in a feast to thank God for his blessings and celebrate the first harvest that the colonists had reaped in American soil. The feast includes as they had easy access to wild turkeys. In the past, thanksgiving was not an annual event as it was celebrated for various reasons including finding a new colony, winning a war or harvesting a good crop among many others.

Under the new Constitution, US presidents continued the practice of declaring national days of thanksgiving and George Washington was the first to announce an observance on Thursday, November 26th, 1789, which was followed by many other Thanksgivings. However it was President Lincoln who declared a thanksgiving day in 1863 on the last Thursday of November, which continued till 1941 when Roosevelt declared that it will be observed on the 4th Thursday of November and not the last Thursday.

Thanksgiving weekend Events
TV shows: Thanksgiving offers the luxury of an extended weekend for most Americans where they stay hooked up to their favorite TV shows, make family visits or plan trips and holidays. The NFL and college football games will ensure a tempting fare on the platters for the telly lovers on Friday and Saturday just after Thanksgiving.

Attending a Thanksgiving parade is a norm for most Americans on this day. Most US cities will have parades and floats with giant floating balloons, cartoon characters and Santa Claus cruising along the streets to add up to the festive mood.

Shopping on Black Friday: The day after Thanksgiving, which is celebrated as Black Friday will account for the biggest sales of the year as stores stay open late to satiate the shopping needs of the customers. In 2014, $51 billion was spent by 133 million shoppers on Black Friday.

Gift exchange: Thanksgiving makes a perfect day to exchange gifts as token of thanks among peers, employees, family members or friends. As family and friends gather for the best feast of the year, hand out the best Thanksgiving gifts that they will truly cherish.

Some of the popular promotional gift ideas to be considered include custom apparels, technology items, food  and candy, and plush toys among others. The hosts can even think of handing out kitchen accessories like cheese boards, measuring cups or wine sets to celebrate the culinary experience that they ensured their guests. So, put on your thinking caps to choose the best gifts ideas from ProImprint this holiday season. Happy shopping and bon appétit!

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