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Thanksgiving

It is one of the busiest travel time of the year in USA

NRIs celebrate Thanksgiving Day with Tandoori Turkey and Mutton Curry

 

Los Angeles, Nov. 21, 2007
Gary Singh

What's the first thing that comes to mind when NRI think of Thanksgiving? to see family

What's the first thing that comes to mind when American think of Thanksgiving? Turkey, shopping and meet friends or family

Millions of Americans are on the roads or at the airports Wednesday, traveling to be with family and friends for Thursday's Thanksgiving holiday.

This year is expected to mark the largest Thanksgiving travel period ever - despite rising gas prices and fears of air delays.

The American Automobile Association estimates a record 38.7 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles for Thanksgiving, compared with the prior record of 38.1 million during last year's holiday travel period.

President Bush issued a holiday proclamation, saying Thanksgiving is a time for Americans to gather in a spirit of gratitude with family, friends and neighbors. He said Thanksgiving is also a chance to serve others and to share blessings with those in need.

To close of the harvest season, this is an annual one day holiday to give thanks all people

  • USA: Thanksgiving Day or Thanksgiving, is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in USA
  • Canada: Thanksgiving Day or Thanksgiving, is celebrated on the second Monday in October in Canada
  • UK: In UK, it is not thought of as a major event as compared to Christmas or Easter

USA

Thanksgiving Day or Thanksgiving is major event in USA, brought to North America by early settlers. Thanksgiving meals for dinner includes sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, Indian corn vegetables, pumpkin pie stuffing and turkey. Some times it is also called "Turkey Day". Families and friends usually gather for a dinner.

Thanksgiving is almost a long week-end and one of the busiest travel time of the year. Thanksgiving parades also occur in many cities of the country- Houston, Philadelphia , Plymouth, and Detroit . The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is held annually every Thanksgiving Day in Midtown Manhattan, New York. It includes large balloons of cartoon characters and TV personalities.

  • The biggest day of shopping of the year in the U.S., as measured by customer traffic, is still the Friday after Thanksgiving
  • It is one of the busiest travel time of the year
  • The American winter holiday season traditionally begins when Thanksgiving ends
  • American football is often a major part of Thanksgiving celebrations in the U.S. and likewise Canadian football in Canada
  • In America, the tradition is referred to as the Thanksgiving Classic. The Detroit Lions of the American National Football League have hosted a game every Thanksgiving Day since 1934. The Dallas Cowboys have hosted every Thanksgiving Day since 1966. Many college and high school football games are played over Thanksgiving weekend, often between regional or historic rivals.
  • In Massachusetts, more than 70,000 people visit Plimoth Plantation each November to learn about life among Colonial settlers and the native Wampanoags - more commonly known as Pilgrims and Indians.
  • In New York, the balloons and floats of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade attract thousands of spectators.
  • Chicago has its own Thanksgiving Day parade, with 300,000 people lining State Street to watch


More than 46 million of the birds (turkyes) were to be eaten
during Thanksgiving day on Thursday.

In 1621, the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims who settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts, held holiday meal as U.S. tradition. Turkey play a large role in the celebration of Thanksgiving. In 1890- 1900, it also became more popular for new immigrants after the end of Civil War. The first official Thanksgiving was held in the Virginia Colony on December 4, 1619 near the current site of Berkeley Plantation, where celebrations are still held each year in November. The Pilgrims set apart a day to celebrate at Plymouth immediately after their first harvest, in 1621

President Abraham Lincoln, proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day, to be celebrated on the final Thursday in November. The U.S. Congress in 1941 split the difference and established that the Thanksgiving would occur annually on the fourth Thursday of November, which was sometimes the last Thursday and sometimes the next to last. On November 26 that year President Roosevelt signed this bill into U.S. law. 1863

 

CANADA: 2nd Monday in October

Friday–Monday, four day weekend, Canadians eat their Thanksgiving meal on any day of that weekend. The only major parade on that day in Canada is the Oktoberfest parade in Kitchener-Waterloo. They celebrate a meal with one group of relatives on one day, and another meal with a different group of relatives on another day.

On January 31st, 1957, the Canadian Parliament proclaimed: "A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed--->to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October. The roots of the Canadian holiday are different than those of the United States of America:

  • It goes back to an English explorer, Martin Frobisher, who had been trying to find a northern passage to the Orient.In the year 1578, he held a formal ceremony, in what is now the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, to give thanks for surviving the long journey.
  • Frobisher was later knighted and had an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean in northern Canada named after him - Frobisher Bay.
  • French settlers, having crossed the ocean and arrived in Canada with explorer Samuel de Champlain, also held huge feasts of thanks
  • War ended in 1763 handing over New France to the British, the citizens of Halifax held a special day of Thanksgiving.
  • American who remained loyal to Great Britain were exiled from the United States and brought the customs and practices of the American Thanksgiving to Canada

In 1879, the Canadian Parliament declared November 6th a day of Thanksgiving and a national holiday in Canada.


Hari Nayak
Food.TV

Thanksgiving is a time when friends and family come together and enjoy the warmth and comfort of food cooked using traditional recipes. Traditions are a big part of the Thanksgiving holiday, and every family has their own way of celebrating. This is perhaps the only meal of the year when you know what to expect at the dinner table. But since I celebrate Thanksgiving with my extended family in the US, I always expect the unexpected! Trust us to add a desi twist to everything around us! I have been served quite unusual items like Tandoori Turkey kati roll!!! Mutton Curry and Take out Indo- Chinese to name a few. Loved it!

Hey, what can I say? Indians will always remain deep rooted to their cuisine no matter what tradition says. But after all it is the time to gather with your friends and family and enjoy a good meal and have a good time. And, we sure know how to celebrate the spirit of Thanksgiving!

I was introduced to thanksgiving celebration and tradition when I came to this country 12 years ago. Since then I have always enjoyed creating my version of traditional Thanksgiving dishes.

 

 

 


More than 46 million of the birds (turkyes) were to be eaten during Thanksgiving day on Thursday.