Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a traditional American holiday which was originally celebrated by the pilgims/earliest settlers to give thanks at the conclusion of the harvest season. It was the first Fall in the new country and the Pilgrims wanted to share a meal with the Indians, who had helped them plant and harvest their first crops!

Nowadays, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November with a family dinner. It is a reason to spend time together and "relax".

Families and friends gather for a festive meal where certain kinds of food are served. First and foremost, turkey is the featured item in most Thanksgiving feasts (so much so that Thanksgiving is sometimes referred to as "Turkey Day"). Stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn, turnips, yams and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner.

Guests often bring food items or help with cooking in the kitchen as part of a happy, communal meal.

The meal usually starts early in the afternoon. Afterwards, everyone gathers around the TV to watch "the game" (American football game: usually great half -time shows) or takes a walk together.

The day after Thanksgiving marks the start of the shopping season!!  The Friday after Thanksgiving is often called "Black Friday".  Black refers to "getting out of the red and into the black numbers" i.e. getting out of debt/negative results (red numbers).

This day is the biggest shopping day of the year. Stores will be super crowded, but shoppers will be rewarded with fantastic sales.
Often, stores will open early. Early = 3 AM or earlier. Look for "door buster deals": this day you will find a limited amount of TVs and appliances deeply discounted for a limited time (i.e. until 11 AM)- just to get people into the store. The savings are amazing if you dare to brave the crowds! The best way to shop is to prepare: stores will advertise their "Black Friday" specials a week in advance.

Offices are closed on Thanksgiving day and most often on the day after (Friday) (However, Wall Street is open on the Friday after Thanksgiving)
Stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day - however, food stores will be open until early afternoon (3 PM)
Viviane Pioli Terlizzi.