Thanksgiving Traditions
Many people in the United States look forward to Thanksgiving all year long because of the many traditions associated with the holiday. For kids, one of the most exciting traditions is watching the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The parade originated in New York City in 1924. Macy’s employees marched to Macy’s flagship store on 34th Street dressed in vibrant costumes. The parade also included floats and professional bands. At the end of that first parade, and every parade since, Santa Claus was welcomed into Herald Square. The parade was such a success that Macy’s declared it would become an annual event. And today, an estimated 3.5 million+ people gather in the streets to watch the parade, and 50 million watch from home.
For Dads, one of the favorite traditions is watching football. The first Thanksgiving football game was played in Detroit, Michigan in 1934, when the Detroit Lions decided to host a game on Thanksgiving Day. The Lions have hosted a Thanksgiving Day game each year since 1934, with the exception of a brief interruption during World War II. The inaugural game, held in the Motor City in 1934, saw the defending-champion Chicago Bears defeat the host Lions 19-16.
For Moms, one of the traditions is Black Friday shopping. Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year and kicks-off the Christmas season. Stores offer great deals and some people start shopping at midnight and shop all night long and into the next day.
While these traditions are fun, the best tradition is spending time with family and taking the time to reflect on all of the good things in your life and to be thankful for them.
