Thanksgiving is a non-secular holiday traditionally celebrated to give thanks to blessings received during the harvest season. While identified as a holiday that originated from the United States of America, Canada and the island nation Grenada also celebrate Thanksgiving, although held on different dates and have different historical commemorations.

American Thanksgiving is held on the fourth Thursday of November and is the herald for the country’s holiday season. Though Thanksgiving can be traced to old practices revolving around the harvest season, it also commemorates the friendship formed between the pilgrims at Plymouth and the native American Indians of the Wampanaoag tribe, when the tribe helped the pilgrims survive a dreadful drought. Later on, George Washington also declared an observation of thanksgiving after defeating the British at Saratoga.

An official holiday was then declared by President Abraham Lincoln as part of the efforts to unite a country torn by the American Civil War. Since then it has been observed by American all over the country to come together and give thanks to their blessings.

Thanksgiving Decorations

Thanksgiving falls on the Autumn season, so use the gorgeous Fall colors indoors. For color inspirations, take a leaf out of nature and incorporate browns, golds, reds, dark-greens and honey colors in your decorations and furniture. Put up your curtains, pillow cases and tablecloths in brown or dark red hues, accented with gold or a cheery orange.

Step out in your garden and pick up newly-fallen maple leaves and spray-paint them with fall colors. You can then bunch them together to form an autumn wreath or put them up in strings as a fall-themed streamers in your house.

Table centerpieces and decorations can be varied and fall-themed too. Put little buckets of acorns or fall leaves or use small personal pumpkins to act as centerpiece, or pumpkin-shaped candles. There are also loads of turkey or Pilgrim figurines and knick-knacks in the department stores. Set the table with your best china and utensils. Thanksgiving is a family holiday and your family deserves only the best.

Since fall season is harvest season, you can use real or fake produce to act as decorations as well. Corn, pumpkins, apples and the like should be gathered in one place like the front door to remind everyone that they should be thankful for this year’s blessings and productivity.

The smell of your house can be fall-themed with fragrant potpourri. You can also use candles with apple pie scents, bread scents or cinnamon scents for that yummy, warm smell that people associate with home. Tie a small golden ribbon around your candles to make them look more festive.

Thanksgiving Food

Thanksgiving isn’t complete without the signature dishes and food. Take a look at these traditional holiday food and other yummy dishes you can try.

• Thanksgiving Turkey. Thanksgiving is called “Turkey Day” because there is no Thanksgiving without turkey. As the holiday’s signature dish, the turkey is stuffed with onions, garlic, carrots, apples, herbs and spices. It’s then rubbed with salt and pepper, and repeatedly basted with butter until golden-brown. Each family has their own secret turkey. Don’t forget the cranberry sauce and the gravy. (Tips on how to deep fry a turkey)

Learn how to make a Thanksgiving Turkey the easy way. Just watch the video below.

• Sweet Potatoes. Sweet potatoes are often included in the Thanksgiving menu as sweet potato pie. The sweet potatoes are pureed, mixed with pumpkin, and baked as a pie. Another alternative Thanksgiving pie is the pumpkin pie, which uses acorn squash.
• Mashed Potatoes. Another family favorite and a mainstay in the Thanksgiving menu, mashed potatoes are prepared in different ways. Types of potato and potato preparation contribute on whether the end product will be starchy or fluffy, light or creamy. (Learn how to mash potatoes)

Sweet potatoes getting dried under the sun

Mashed potatoes with gravy on top

• Corn on the Cob. This is fairly easy to do with delicious results. Steam sweet corn cobs and serve with butter or quick-melt cheese. Voila, an instant hit!
• Green Bean Casserole. What started out as a promotional gimmick has become one of the country’s most well-loved Thanksgiving dishes. Made with green beans, mushroom soup and fried french onion, this dish is cooked in a deep saucepan and served.

Here’s another dish for Thanksgiving, Green Bean Casserole.

• Biscuits and Breads. Cornbread is more a Southern tradition, but this corn-based treat works well with the rest of your Thanksgiving menu very well.
• Cheese Selection. Have an array of cheese prepared for your guests to nibble on. Some favorites include blue cheese, parmesan and smoked cheese.
• Fresh Fruit Dishes. Pay tribute to harvest season by having fresh fruits on the table. You can also have a mixed fruit salad.
• Pies. General favorites for this season are pumpkin pies and pecan pies. Pumpkin pies can be prepared the way it was mentioned earlier, or as a custard-based pie with no top and served with whipped cream. Pecan pie, a crispy pie that originated from the South, is another staple for the Thanksgiving menu.
• Drinks. Apple cider, fruit juice, sweetened iced tea are great non-alcoholic beverages that everyone can enjoy.

Have a slice of hot and tasty pumpkin pie

Enjoy drinking these different kinds of fruit juices

Eat healthy foods stuffed in a fruit basket

Activities for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays where people can chill and bond with friends and family. Enjoy the day further with your loved ones by having some games and activities to burn off all the delicious things you’ve just eaten.

• Hot Potato. Ask your family members to sit around in a circle. Have a real potato to act as your hot potato and have them pass it around while playing music. When the music stops, the person caught holding the potato last must say something they are thankful or grateful for. Do this until everyone has had their chance to say thanks for the year that was.
• Popcorn Relay. Divide the group into two teams. Fill a bowl with popcorn and have them relay race without a single popcorn falling out. If a popcorn falls, they have to go back and pick it up. The first one who finishes the race wins.
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  Pumpkins for the relay
  Pumpkin Run. For this game, you must buy two or three big pumpkins a day or two before Thanksgiving. On the day itself, divide your guests into two or three groups and assign each of them a pumpkin. They must lay down the pumpkins on their sides and using sticks, must race the pumpkins to the finish line. Be sure to mix up the boys and girls in the teams because physically stronger teams will have an unfair advantage.
• Design a Turkey. Have printed cutouts of paper turkeys and art materials. On Thanksgiving, hand out these cutouts along with the art materials and have the children design the turkeys any way they want. As an added incentive, announce that the best turkey design as voted for by adults.
• Turkey Walk. This is typically a kids’ game, but having adults play as well can also provide lots of laughs. Follow along the rules of Simon Says, only instead saying, “Turkey says…!” and add in the action of your choice. Have them act out sad turkeys, happy turkeys, hungry turkeys, and the like.
• Play Football. Instead of lolling around in front of the television watching football, why not play football with the kids instead? All you need is a football, rubber shoes and sheer iron will! Go out and get some exercise.
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  A family bingo card for the games
  Family Bingo. Before the party, write a list down of particular experiences or characteristics your family members may have. For example, write questions like “Who graduated from college at 18?” , “Who’s a die-hard fan of Brad Pitt?" or "Who has blonde hair?”. Distribute them to each family member and have them walk around to ask who has done what or who has a certain characteristic. The first one who fills out a card wins.
• Family Trivia. Divide the group into two. Prepare questions and answers pertaining to your family members and the family history, for example, “What was the year Grandpa Kevin and Grandma Frances got married?” The group that answers the most questions wins.
• The Story of the Pilgrims. If you have a lot of children in your family or extended family, it’s most likely that they are included in a Thanksgiving play in their school. Inform the children beforehand that the family will be expecting them to do a play too, so let them have fun and arrange everything for their very own show.

Thanksgiving is a holiday everyone looks forward to because of the long weekend and the opportunity to get in touch with other family members. Enjoy each other’s company and relax. Happy Thanksgiving!

* No Thanksgiving celebration is complete without roasted turkey, but if you keep serving the same recipe year after year, chances are your family will not find the meal as appealing as before. Surprise them by preparing a new turkey dinner. Try these delicious ways on cooking a turkey.