THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving is the most important non-religious holiday in the United States together with the celebration of the Independence Day (July, 4th). It is celebrated every year on the last Thursday of November. The celebration consists of a fantastic dinner and the gathering of family and friends. There are also school celebrations and local parades being the most famous of all the New York City Thanksgiving parade, which is broadcasted nationwide. Those days millions of Americans travel back to their families' homes, for this holiday, the day before Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year in airports and other means of transport.

By Thanksgiving, families get together in a very special dinner party. They usually decorate their dinning table in a very special way. The centerpiece usually combines flowers, vegetables, fruit and even leaves. The usual colors displayed in these dinner tables are: orange, brown, yellow, and other earthy colors. You can see an example of the Thanksgiving decoration of an American dinning room. The traditional Thanksgiving dinner includes: Roasted Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatos, Sweet Potatos or Turnip, Boiled or Steamed vegetables, Cramberry Sauce, Gravy, and desserts of different kinds, being the most typical the pumpking pie, pumpkin or corn breads, cheescakes, apple pie, etc. You can click on the links to learn more about the products.

All the dishes are usually served when the guests sit down. Before starting eating the host and one or many of the guests thank God for all the good things brought by that year. Despite of this, Thanksgiving is celebrated by Americans of all religious backgrounds and it is not uncommon to attend a dinner in which the guests professed more than two different religions. However, Thanksgiving is a moment for the families to gather and share, a moment of love, friendship and cooperation which clearly shows the good and great values of Americans.