Holidays in the United States

Thanksgiving:

An annual national holiday marked by religious observances and a traditional meal including turkey. There are several theories as to why this is. The main one is that the turkey is indigenous to North America and is large enough to feed a large group of people. The holiday commemorates a harvest festival celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621, and is held in the US on the fourth Thursday in November. It began as a day where people took the opportunity of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. In the US, the celebration is often recognized as an event that took place when English colonists held a feast to thank Native Americans for helping them start new lives in the US. "The First Thanksgiving" was celebrated after their first harvest in October 1621. The feast lasted three days. Currently, more than 50 million turkeys served in the US every year for Thanksgiving. There is also a “Pardon Tradition.” Back to at least 1947 when US presidents were gifted with turkeys at Thanksgiving. These turkeys were usually eaten. However, Ronald Reagan was the first president to "pardon" a turkey, in 1987. His successor, George HW Bush, made the pardoning ceremony into a White House tradition from 1989 onwards. The day of thanksgiving, there are parades all over the country. The biggest one is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Over 3.5 million spectators generally brave the cold in Manhattan to watch the three-hour parade. Last year, the event averaged 22.3 million viewers on TV. The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday. In previous years, this date kick starts the Christmas shopping season with promotional sales. However, over the last couple of years, stores have started to remain open on Thanksgiving or open late on Thanksgiving.

4^th of July:

On July 4, 1776, the thirteen original colonies claimed their independence from England. This event led to the formation of the United States. Each year on July 4th, also known as Independence Day, Americans celebrate this historic event. Patriotic displays and family events are organized throughout the United States. There are parades in most towns across the United States, as well as firework displays in the evenings. This is also celebrated by family or friends coming together to have barbeques.