Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has been an annual tradition since 18 !, "hen, during the #ivil $ar, %resident &braham 'incoln (roclaimed a national day of )Thanksgiving and %raise to our beneficent *ather "ho d"elleth in the +eavens), to be celebrated on Thursday, November , .-1. &s a federal and (o(ular holiday in the U.S., Thanksgiving is one of the ma/or holidays of the year. Together "ith #hristmas and Ne" 0ear, Thanksgiving is a (art of the broader holiday season. The event that &mericans commonly call the )*irst Thanksgiving) "as celebrated by the %ilgrims after their first harvest in the Ne" $orld in 1 ,1.-,.This feast lasted three days, and "as attended by about 1! %ilgrims and 23 Native &mericans.-!. The Ne" 4ngland colonists "ere accustomed to regularly celebrating )thanksgivings)5days of (rayer thanking 6od for blessings such as military victory or the end of a drought.-7 &mericans commonly trace the Thanksgiving holiday to a 1 ,1 celebration at the %lymouth %lantation, "here the %lymouth settlers held a harvest feast after a successful gro"ing season. &utumn or early "inter feasts continued s(oradically in later years, first as an im(rom(tu religious observance, and later as a civil tradition. The %ilgrims celebrated at %lymouth for three days after their first harvest, in 1 ,1. Seventeenth century accounts do not identify this as a Thanksgiving observance, rather it follo"ed the harvest. T"o colonists gave (ersonal accounts of the 1 ,1 feast in %lymouth, 8assachusetts. The %ilgrims, most of "hom "ere Se(aratists, are not to be confused "ith %uritans "ho established their o"n 8assachusetts 9ay #olony nearby :current day 9oston; in 1 ,8 and had very different religious beliefs.-11. $illiam 9radford, in <f %lymouth %lantation= Irregular thanksgivings continued after favorable events and days of fasting after unfavorable ones. In the %lymouth tradition, a thanksgiving day "as (rimarily a church observance, rather than a feast day. 9ut thanksgiving days did have a civil observance linked to the religious one, as in 1 ,!. 6radually, an annual Thanksgiving after the harvest develo(ed in the mid>1?th century. This did not occur on any set day or necessarily on the same day in different colonies in &merica. The 8assachusetts 9ay #olony :consisting mainly of %uritan #hristians; celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time in 1 !3, and fre@uently thereafter until about 1 83, "hen it became an annual festival in that colonyA and #onnecticut as early as 1 !2 and annually after 1 7?, eBce(t in 1 ?1. The Dutch in Ne" Netherland a((ointed a day for giving thanks in 1 77 and occasionally thereafter. 'ater in the 18th century, individual colonies "ould (eriodically designate a day of thanksgiving in honor of a military victory, an ado(tion of a state constitution or an eBce(tionally bountiful cro(. Such a Thanksgiving Day celebration "as held in December 1??? by the colonies nation"ide, commemorating the surrender of 9ritish 6eneral 9urgoyne at Saratoga. During the 18th century, individual colonies commonly observed days of thanksgiving throughout each year. $e might not recogniCe a traditional Thanksgiving Day from that (eriod, as it "as not a day marked by (lentiful food and drink as is todayDs custom, but rather a day set aside for (rayer and fasting. During the &merican Eevolutionary $ar the #ontinental #ongress a((ointed one or more thanksgiving days each year, each time recommending to the eBecutives of the various states the observance of these days in their states. The *irst National %roclamation of Thanksgiving "as given by the #ontinental #ongress in 1??? from its tem(orary location in 0ork, %ennsylvania, "hile the 9ritish occu(ied the national ca(ital at %hiladel(hia. Delegate Samuel &dams created the first draft. #ongress then ada(ted the final version= *<E &S 8U#+ as it is the indis(ensable Duty of all 8en to adore the su(erintending %rovidence of &lmighty 6odA to ackno"ledge "ith 6ratitude their <bligation to him for 9enefits received, and to im(lore

such farther 9lessings as they stand in Need of= &nd it having (leased him in his abundant 8ercy, not only to continue to us the innumerable 9ounties of his common %rovidenceA but also to smile u(on us in the %rosecution of a /ust and necessary $ar, for the Defense and 4stablishment of our unalienable Eights and 'ibertiesA (articularly in that he hath been (leased, in so great a 8easure, to (ros(er the 8eans used for the Su((ort of our Troo(s, and to cro"n our &rms "ith most signal success= It is therefore recommended to the legislative or eBecutive %o"ers of these UNIT4D ST&T4S to set a(art T+UESD&0, the eighteenth Day of December neBt, for S<'48N T+&NFS6IGIN6 and %E&IS4= That at one Time and "ith one Goice, the good %eo(le may eB(ress the grateful *eelings of their +earts, and consecrate themselves to the Service of their Divine 9enefactorA and that, together "ith their sincere &ckno"ledgments and <fferings, they may /oin the (enitent #onfession of their manifold Sins, "hereby they had forfeited every *avorA and their humble and earnest Su((lication that it may (lease 6<D through the 8erits of H4SUS #+EIST, mercifully to forgive and blot them out of EemembranceA That it may (lease him graciously to afford his 9lessing on the 6overnments of these States res(ectively, and (ros(er the (ublic #ouncil of the "hole= To ins(ire our #ommanders, both by 'and and Sea, and all under them, "ith that $isdom and *ortitude "hich may render them fit Instruments, under the %rovidence of &lmighty 6<D, to secure for these United States, the greatest of all human 9lessings, IND4%4ND4N#4 and %4&#4= That it may (lease him, to (ros(er the Trade and 8anufactures of the %eo(le, and the 'abor of the +usbandman, that our 'and may yield its Increase= To take Schools and Seminaries of 4ducation, so necessary for cultivating the %rinci(les of true 'iberty, Girtue and %iety, under his nurturing +andA and to (ros(er the 8eans of Eeligion, for the (romotion and enlargement of that Fingdom, "hich consisteth )in Eighteousness, %eace and Hoy in the +oly 6host. &nd it is further recommended, That servile 'abor, and such Eecreation, as, though at other Times innocent, may be unbecoming the %ur(ose of this &((ointment, be omitted on so solemn an <ccasion. 6eorge $ashington, leader of the revolutionary forces in the &merican Eevolutionary $ar, (roclaimed a Thanksgiving in December 1??? as a victory celebration honoring the defeat of the 9ritish at Saratoga. [edit]Thanksgiving proclamations in the first thirty years of nationhood <n Thursday, Se(tember ,7, 1?82, the first +ouse of Ee(resentatives voted to recommend the *irst &mendment of the ne"ly drafted #onstitution to the states for ratification. The neBt day, #ongressman 4lias 9oudinot from Ne" Hersey (ro(osed that the +ouse and Senate /ointly re@uest of %resident $ashington to (roclaim a day of thanksgiving for Ithe many signal favors of &lmighty 6odJ. 9oudinot said that he Icould not think of letting the session (ass over "ithout offering an o((ortunity to all the citiCens of the United States of /oining, "ith one voice, in returning to &lmighty 6od their sincere thanks for the many blessings he had (oured do"n u(on them.J-18. &s %resident, on <ctober !, 1?82, 6eorge $ashington made the follo"ing (roclamation and created the first Thanksgiving Day designated by the national government of the United States of &merica= $hereas it is the duty of all Nations to ackno"ledge the (rovidence of &lmighty 6od, to obey his "ill, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to im(lore his (rotection and favor, and "hereas both +ouses of #ongress have by their /oint #ommittee re@uested me )to recommend to the %eo(le of the United States a day of (ublic thanksgiving and (rayer to be observed by ackno"ledging "ith grateful hearts the many signal favors of &lmighty 6od es(ecially by affording them an o((ortunity (eaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and ha((iness.) No" therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the , th day of November neBt to be devoted by the %eo(le of these States to the service of that great and glorious 9eing, "ho is the beneficent &uthor of all the good that "as, that is, or that "ill be. That "e may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and (rotection of the %eo(le of this #ountry (revious to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable inter(ositions of his (rovidence, "hich "e eB(erienced in the course and conclusion of the late "ar, for the great degree of tran@uility, union, and (lenty, "hich "e have since en/oyed, for the (eaceable and rational manner, in "hich "e have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and ha((iness, and (articularly the national <ne no" lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty "ith "hich "e are blessedA and the means "e have of ac@uiring and diffusing useful kno"ledgeA and in general for all the great and various favors "hich he hath been (leased to confer u(on us. &nd also that "e may then unite in most humbly offering our (rayers and su((lications to the great 'ord and Euler of Nations

and beseech him to (ardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, "hether in (ublic or (rivate stations, to (erform our several and relative duties (ro(erly and (unctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the (eo(le, by constantly being a 6overnment of "ise, /ust, and constitutional la"s, discreetly and faithfully eBecuted and obeyed, to (rotect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations :es(ecially such as have sho"n kindness unto us; and to bless them "ith good government, (eace, and concord. To (romote the kno"ledge and (ractice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all 8ankind such a degree of tem(oral (ros(erity as he alone kno"s to be best. 6iven under my hand at the #ity of Ne" 0ork the third day of <ctober in the year of our 'ord 1?82.-12. 6eorge $ashington again (roclaimed a Thanksgiving in 1?21. %resident Hohn &dams declared Thanksgivings in 1?28 and 1?22. No Thanksgiving (roclamations "ere issued by Thomas Hefferson but Hames 8adison rene"ed the tradition in 1817, in res(onse to resolutions of #ongress, at the close of the $ar of 181,. 8adison also declared the holiday t"ice in 1811A ho"ever, none of these "as celebrated in autumn. In 181 , 6overnor %lumer of Ne" +am(shire a((ointed Thursday, November 17 to be observed as a day of %ublic Thanksgiving and 6overnor 9rooks of 8assachusetts a((ointed Thursday, November ,8 to be )observed throughout that State as a day of Thanksgiving).-,3. & thanksgiving day "as annually a((ointed by the governor of Ne" 0ork from 181?. In some of the Southern states, there "as o((osition to the observance of such a day on the ground that it "as a relic of %uritanic bigotry, but by 1818 (roclamations a((ointing a day of thanksgiving "ere issued by the gouvernos of ,1 states and , teritories. In the middle of the &merican #ivil $ar, %resident &braham 'incoln, (rom(ted by a series of editorials "ritten by Sarah Hose(ha +ale,-1. (roclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day, to be celebrated on the final Thursday in November 18 !. The document, "ritten by Secretary of State $illiam Se"ard, reads as follo"s= The year that is dra"ing to"ards its close, has been filled "ith the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, "hich are so constantly en/oyed that "e are (rone to forget the source from "hich they come, others have been added, "hich are of so eBtraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to (enetrate and soften even the heart "hich is habitually insensible to the ever "atchful (rovidence of &lmighty 6od. In the midst of a civil "ar of une@ualled magnitude and severity, "hich has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to (rovoke their aggression, (eace has been (reserved "ith all nations, order has been maintained, the la"s have been res(ected and obeyed, and harmony has (revailed every"here eBce(t in the theatre of military conflictA "hile that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of "ealth and of strength from the fields of (eaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the (lough, the shuttle, or the shi(A the aBe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as "ell of iron and coal as of the (recious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. %o(ulation has steadily increased, not"ithstanding the "aste that has been made in the cam(, the siege and the battle>fieldA and the country, re/oicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is (ermitted to eB(ect continuance of years, "ith large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand "orked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the 8ost +igh 6od, "ho, "hile dealing "ith us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and (ro(er that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully ackno"ledged as "ith one heart and voice by the "hole &merican (eo(le. I do therefore invite my fello" citiCens in every (art of the United States, and also those "ho are at sea and those "ho are so/ourning in foreign lands, to set a(art and observe the last Thursday of November neBt, as a day of Thanksgiving and %raise to our beneficent *ather "ho d"elleth in the +eavens. &nd I recommend to them that "hile offering u( the ascri(tions /ustly due to +im for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, "ith humble (enitence for our national (erverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those "ho have become "ido"s, or(hans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in "hich "e are unavoidably engaged, and fervently im(lore the inter(osition of the &lmighty +and to heal the "ounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent "ith the Divine (ur(oses to the full en/oyment of (eace, harmony, tran@uility and Union. In testimony "hereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affiBed. Done at the city of $ashington, this third day of

<ctober, in the year of our 'ord one thousand eight hundred and siBty>three, and of the inde(endence of the United States the eighty>eighth.) %roclamation of %resident &braham 'incoln, <ctober !1, 122!.-1. Since 18 !, Thanksgiving has been observed annually in the United States. During the second half of the 12th century, Thanksgiving traditions in &merica varied from region to region. & traditional Ne" 4ngland Thanksgiving, for eBam(le, consisted of a raffle held on Thanksgiving eve :in "hich the (riCes "ere mainly geese or turkeys;, a shooting match on Thanksgiving morning :in "hich turkeys and chickens "ere used as targets;, church services, and then the traditional feast "hich consisted of some familiar Thanksgiving sta(les such as turkey and (um(kin (ie, and some not>so>familiar dishes such as (igeon (ie. The earliest high school football rivalries took root in the late 12th century in 8assachusetts, stemming from games (layed on ThanksgivingA (rofessional football took root as a Thanksgiving sta(le during the s(ortDs genesis in the 1823s, and the tradition of Thanksgiving football both at the high school and (rofessional level continues to this day. In Ne" 0ork #ity, (eo(le "ould dress u( in fanciful masks and costumes and roam the streets in merry>making mobs. 9y the beginning of the ,3th century these mobs had mor(hed into )ragamuffin (arades) consisting mostly of children dressed as )ragamuffins) in costumes of old and mismatched adult clothes and "ith deliberately smudged faces, and by the late 1213s the tradition had vanished entirely.-,1. [edit]1939 to 1941 &braham 'incolnDs successors as (resident follo"ed his eBam(le of annually declaring the final Thursday in November to be Thanksgiving. 9ut in 12!2, %resident *ranklin D. Eoosevelt broke "ith this tradition. -,,. November had five Thursdays that year :instead of the more>common four;, and Eoosevelt declared the fourth Thursday as Thanksgiving rather than the fifth one. &lthough many (o(ular histories state other"ise, he made clear that his (lan "as to establish the holiday on the neBt>to>last Thursday in the month instead of the last one. $ith the country still in the midst of The 6reat De(ression, Eoosevelt thought an earlier Thanksgiving "ould give merchants a longer (eriod to sell goods before #hristmas. Increasing (rofits and s(ending during this (eriod, Eoosevelt ho(ed, "ould hel( bring the country out of the De(ression. &t the time, advertising goods for #hristmas before Thanksgiving "as considered ina((ro(riate. *red 'aCarus, Hr., founder of the *ederated De(artment Stores :later 8acyDs;, is credited "ith convincing Eoosevelt to (ush Thanksgiving to a "eek earlier to eB(and the sho((ing season, and "ithin t"o years the change (assed through #ongress into la".-,!.-,7. Ee(ublicans decried the change, calling it an affront to the memory of 'incoln. %eo(le began referring to November !3 as the )Ee(ublican Thanksgiving) and November ,! as the )Democratic Thanksgiving) or )*ranksgiving).-,1. Eegardless of the (olitics, many localities had made a tradition of celebrating on the last Thursday, and many football teams had a tradition of (laying their final games of the season on ThanksgivingA "ith their schedules set "ell in advance, they could not change. Since a (residential declaration of Thanksgiving Day "as not legally binding, EooseveltDs change "as "idely disregarded. T"enty>three states "ent along "ith EooseveltDs recommendation, ,, did not, and some, like TeBas, could not decide and took both days as government holidays. In 1273 and 1271, years in "hich November had four Thursdays, Eoosevelt declared the third one as Thanksgiving. &s in 12!2, some states "ent along "ith the change "hile others retained the traditional last> Thursday date. 8issouri "as the last state to ratify. [edit]1942 to present <n <ctober , 1271, both houses of the U.S. #ongress (assed a /oint resolution fiBing the traditional last> Thursday date for the holiday beginning in 127,. +o"ever, in December of that year the Senate (assed an amendment to the resolution that s(lit the difference by re@uiring that Thanksgiving be observed annually on the fourth Thursday of November, "hich "as sometimes the last Thursday and sometimes :less fre@uently; the neBt to last.-, .The amendment also (assed the +ouse, and on December , , 1271 %resident Eoosevelt signed this bill, for the first time making the date of Thanksgiving a matter of federal la" and fiBing the day as the fourth Thursday of November.-,?. +o"ever, for several years some states continued to observe the last>Thursday date in years "ith five November Thursdays :the neBt such year being 1277;, "ith TeBas doing so as late as 121 .

Since 127?, the National Turkey *ederation has (resented the %resident of the United States "ith one live turkey and t"o dressed turkeys, in a ceremony kno"n as the National Thanksgiving Turkey %resentation. Hohn *. Fennedy "as the first (resident re(orted to s(are the turkey given to him :)"eDll let this one live);, and Eonald Eeagan "as the first to grant the turkey a (residential (ardon, "hich he /okingly (resented to his 128? turkey :"hich "ould indeed be s(ared and sent to a (etting Coo; in order to deflect @uestions regarding the IranK#ontra affair. 6eorge +. $. 9ush, "ho served as vice (resident under Eeagan, made the turkey (ardon a (ermanent annual tradition u(on assuming the (residency in 1282, a tradition that has been carried on by every (resident each year since.-,8. There are legends that state that the )(ardoning) tradition dates to the +arry Truman administration or even to an anecdote of &braham 'incoln(ardoning his sonDs (et turkeyA both stories have been @uoted in more recent (residential s(eeches, but neither has any evidence in the %residential record. -,2. In more recent years, t"o turkeys have been (ardoned, in case the original turkey becomes unavailable for (residential (ardoning.-!3.-!1. U.S. tradition com(ares the holiday "ith a meal held in 1 ,1 by the $am(anoag and the %ilgrims "ho settled in %lymouth, 8assachusetts. It is continued in modern times "ith the Thanksgiving dinner, traditionally featuring turkey, (laying a central role in the celebration of Thanksgiving. In the United States, certain kinds of food are traditionally served at Thanksgiving meals. *irstly, baked or roasted turkey is usually the featured item on any Thanksgiving feast table :so much so that Thanksgiving is sometimes referred to as )Turkey Day);. Stuffing, mashed (otatoes "ith gravy, s"eet (otatoes, cranberry sauce, s"eet corn, various fall vegetables :mainly various kinds of s@uashes;, and (um(kin (ie are commonly associated "ith Thanksgiving dinner. &ll of these are actually native to the &mericas or "ere introduced as a ne" food source to the 4uro(eans "hen they arrived. Turkey may be an eBce(tion. In his book 8ayflo"er, Nathaniel %hilbrick suggests that the %ilgrims might already have been familiar "ith turkey in 4ngland, even though the bird is native to the &mericas. The S(aniards had brought domesticated turkeys back from #entral &merica in the early 1?th century, and the birds soon became (o(ular fare all over 4uro(e, including 4ngland, "here turkey :as an alternative to the traditional goose; became a )fiBture at 4nglish #hristmases).-!,. The less fortunate are often (rovided "ith food at Thanksgiving time. 8ost communities have annual food drives that collect non>(erishable (ackaged and canned foods, and cor(orations s(onsor charitable distributions of sta(le foods and Thanksgiving dinners.-!!. Thanksgiving "as founded as a religious observance for all the members of the community to give thanks to 6od for a common (ur(ose. +istoric reasons for community thanksgivings are= the 1171 thanksgiving mass after the eB(edition of *rancisco GLs@ueC de #oronado safely crossing the high (lains of TeBas and finding game,-1.-!7. and the 1??? thanksgiving after the victory in the Eevolutionary $ar 9attle of Saratoga. -1. In his 1?82 %roclamation, %resident $ashington gave many noble reasons for a national Thanksgiving, including )for the civil and religious liberty), for )useful kno"ledge), and for 6odMs )kind care) and )+is %rovidence).-!1. The only (residents to eB(ress a s(ecifically #hristian (ers(ective in their (roclamation have been 6rover #leveland in 182 ,-!1. and $illiam 8cFinley in 1233.-!1. Several other (residents have cited the Hudeo>#hristian tradition. 6erald *ordDs 12?1 declaration made no clear reference to any divinity, -!1. and none of 9arack <bamaDs declarations to date have made more than a (assing reference to any divinity.-! . The tradition of giving thanks to 6od is continued today in various forms. Garious religious and s(iritual organiCations offer "orshi( services and events on Thanksgiving themes the "eekend before, the day of, or the "eekend after Thanksgiving.-!?. &t home, it is a holiday tradition in many families to begin the Thanksgiving dinner by saying grace :a (rayer before or after a meal;.-!8. The custom is (ortrayed in the (hotogra(h )*amily +olding +ands and %raying 9efore a Thanksgiving 8eal). Traditionally, grace "as led by the hostess or host, though in later times it is usual for others to contribute.-!2. +esham &. +assaballa, an &merican 8uslim scholar and (hysician, has "ritten that Thanksgiving )is "holly consistent "ith Islamic (rinci(les) and that )fe" things are more Islamic than thanking 6od for +is blessings).-73. Similarly many Sikh &mericans also celebrate the holiday by )giving thanks to &lmighty).-71.

[edit]Vacation and travel <n Thanksgiving Day, families and friends usually gather for a large meal or dinner. #onse@uently, the Thanksgiving holiday "eekend is one of the busiest travel (eriods of the year.-7,.Thanksgiving is a four>day or five>day "eekend vacation for schools and colleges. 8ost business and government "orkers :?8N in ,33?; are given Thanksgiving and the day after as (aid holidays.-7!. Thanksgiving 4ve, the night before Thanksgiving, is one of the busiest nights of the year for bars and clubs, as many college students and others return to their hometo"ns to reunite "ith friends and family.-77. [edit]Parades *or a more com(rehensive list, see 'ist of holiday (arades. Since 12,7, in Ne" 0ork #ity, the 8acyDs Thanksgiving Day %arade is held annually every Thanksgiving Day from the U((er $est Side of 8anhattan to 8acyDs flagshi( store in +erald S@uare, and televised nationally by N9#. The (arade features (arade floats "ith s(ecific themes, scenes from 9road"ay (lays, large balloons of cartoon characters and TG (ersonalities, and high school marching bands. The float that traditionally ends the 8acyDs %arade is the Santa #laus float, the arrival of "hich is an unofficial sign of the beginning of the #hristmas season. &lso founded in 12,7, &mericaDs Thanksgiving %arade in Detroit is one of the largest (arades in the country. The (arade runs from 8idto"n to Do"nto"n Detroit and (recedes the annual Detroit 'ions Thanksgiving football game. The (arade includes large balloons, marching bands, and various celebrity guests much like the 8acyDs (arade and is nationally televised on various affiliate stations. The 8ayor of Detroit closes the (arade by giving Santa #laus a key to the city. There are Thanksgiving (arades in many other cities, including= &merican football is an im(ortant (art of many Thanksgiving celebrations in the United States. %rofessional football games are often held on Thanksgiving DayA until recently, these "ere the only games (layed during the "eek a(art from Sunday or 8onday night. The National *ootball 'eague has (layed games on Thanksgiving every year since its creationA the tradition is referred to as theThanksgiving #lassic. The Detroit 'ions have hosted a game every Thanksgiving Day since 12!7, "ith the eBce(tion of 12!2K 1277 :due to $orld $ar II;. In 12 , the Dallas #o"boys, "ho had been founded siB years earlier, ado(ted the (ractice of hosting Thanksgiving games. It is "idely rumored that the #o"boys sought a guarantee that they "ould regularly host Thanksgiving games as a condition of their very first one :since games on days other than Sunday "ere uncommon at the time and thus high attendance "as not a certainty;. *or many college football teams, the regular season ends on Thanksgiving "eekend, and a teamDs final game is often against a regional or historic rival. 8ost of these college games are (layed on the *riday or Saturday after Thanksgiving, but usually a single college game is (layed on Thanksgiving itself. +igh school football games, and informal )Turkey 9o"l) contests (layed by amateur grou(s and organiCations, are fre@uently held on Thanksgiving "eekend. 6ames of football (receding or follo"ing the meal in the back yard or a nearby field are also common during many family gatherings. [edit]Other sports In college basketball, the annual &naheim #lassic :formerly the ? #lassic; and <ld S(ice #lassic tournaments take (lace over Thanksgiving "eekend, "ith many of the games being (layed on Thanksgiving itself. 6ames are televised on 4S%N, and 4S%NU in marathon format. This is a relatively ne" )tradition), as these tournaments "ere founded in ,33? and ,33 res(ectively. #om(etitor Gersus :no" N9# S(orts Net"ork; res(onded by ac@uiring the rights to the 9attle 7 &tlantis tournament, (reviously aired the "eek before Thanksgiving, and moving it to Thanksgiving "eekend in ,311. The National 9asketball &ssociation also briefly (layed on Thanksgiving, albeit in the evening, "ith a doubleheader airing Thanksgiving night on TNT, a (ractice that ran from ,332 to ,311A the &tlanta +a"ks hosted the early game each year, "hile the 'os &ngeles #li((ers have been scheduled to host the late game in both ,313 and ,311 :both of the ,311 N9& Thanksgiving games "ere canceled due to a labor dis(ute;. The N9& did not schedule any Thanksgiving games in ,31,. Though golf and auto racing are in their off>seasons on Thanksgiving, there are events in those s(orts that take (lace on Thanksgiving "eekend. The Turkey Night 6rand %riB is an annual automobile race that takes

(lace at the Toyota S(eed"ay at Ir"indale on Thanksgiving nightA due in (art to the fact that this is after the S(rint #u( Series and IO<D Indy#ar Series have finished their seasons, it allo"s some of the to( racers in the United States to (artici(ate. In golf, Thanksgiving "eekend "as the traditional time of the Skins 6ame from 128! to ,338A the event "as canceled in ,332 due to a lack of s(onsorshi( and a difficulty in dra"ing star talent.-13. & return "as, at the time of the cancellation, (lanned for the neBt year, but no skins game has been included "hen the %6& Tour released its schedule in ,313, ,311 or ,31,. The "orld cham(ionshi( (um(kin chunking contest, held in early November in SusseB #ounty, Dela"are, is televised on Thanksgiving on Science #hannel. In ice hockey, the National +ockey 'eague announced, as (art of its decade>long eBtension "ith N9#, that they "ould begin airing a game on the *riday afternoon follo"ing Thanksgiving beginning the ,311K1, N+' seasonA the game has since been branded as the Thanksgiving Sho"do"n. :The 9oston 9ruins have (layed matinees on 9lack *riday since at least 1223, but ,311 is the first time the game has been nationally televised.; The N+' has (layed games on &merican Thanksgiving, usually scheduling games involving #anadian teams and in #anada, as Thanksgiving is on a different day there, although none "ere scheduled in ,311 and only one "as scheduled in ,31, :both the Thanksgiving Sho"do"n and the lone #anadian game on U.S. Thanksgiving "ere canceled as a result of a labor dis(ute in ,31,;A as a result of the effective day off, almost all of the leagueDs teams (lay the day after Thanksgiving. The Turkey Trot is a road running event held in numerous cities on Thanksgiving morning. De(ending on the organiCations involved, these can range from one>mile fun runs to full marathons:although no races currently use the latterA the &tlanta 8arathon sto((ed running on Thanksgiving beginning in ,313;. 8ost Turkey Trots range from bet"een three and ten miles. <ccasionally, a #hristmas>themed film "ill be released to theatres in the United States on or during the Thanksgiving holiday. Such "as the case "ith the 12!1 Scrooge,-11. the 1211 film version of the Dickens classic,-1,. and "ith t"o film versions of The Nutcracker>the 128 film version -1!. and the famous 6eorge 9alanchine version of the ballet,-17. as "ell as the animated The Nutcracker %rince.-11. There have also been some films that use Thanksgiving itself as a setting. 4Bam(les include %lanes, Trains and &utomobiles :128?; and +ome for the +olidays :1221;. $hile not as (rolific as #hristmas s(ecials, "hich usually begin right after Thanksgiving, there are many s(ecial television (rograms transmitted on or around Thanksgiving. In some cases, #hristmas films and s(ecials begin to be telecast on Thanksgiving Day, since the day signals the beginning of the #hristmas season in the U.S. Daytime television is a (o(ular time slot for several Thanksgiving s(ecials n the radio, the *riday before Thanksgiving has, in recent years, been the benchmark and standard date for ad lt contemporary m sic stations to s"itch over to full>time !hristmas m sic. There are a fe" Thanksgiving>themed s(ecials and songs for various formatsA many classic rock stations, for eBam(le, have a tradition of (laying "rlo # thrieDs 12 ? song )"lice$s %esta rant) on Thanksgiving, as the songDs lyrics are about an event that takes (lace on the holiday, "hile many other stations "ill air "dam &andlerDs )The Thanksgiving &ong). In talk radio, The % sh 'im(a gh &ho) has a tradition kno"n as )The Eeal Story of Thanksgiving), in "hich 'imbaugh argues :based u(on teBts such as Of Plymo th Plantation; that the early %uritans "ere comm nalists "ho, u(on near starvation in the "inter of 1 ,1 "ith their system of common o"nershi( of farm (roduce, s"itched to a free enterprise system and (ros(ered. *est)ood One carries all of the N*' Thanksgiving games, "hile the &ports +&" %adio ,et)ork and +nited &tations %adio ,et)orks carry several of the *riday rivalry games. Since being fiBed at the fourth Thursday in November by la" in 1271, the holiday in the United States can occur on any date from November ,, to ,8. $hen it falls on November ,, or ,!, it is not the last Thursday, but the (enultimate Thursday in November. &s it is a -ederal holiday, all United States government offices are closed and em(loyees are (aid for that day. It is also a holiday for the ,e) .ork &tock /0change and most other financial markets and financial services com(anies.

The day after Thanksgiving is a day off for some com(anies and most schools and often the largest sho((ing day of the year. It is (o(ularly kno"n as 1lack -riday or as 1 y ,othing 2ay to those "ho ob/ect to the commercialiCation of the holiday. The 8onday after Thanksgiving is sometimes called #yber 8onday.