Thanksgiving

Beyond the Table
Thanksgiving is a big day for television, games and other entertainment.
One tradition is the television broadcast of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It takes place each year in New York City. Workers of the Macy’s store on Herald Square organized the first parade in 1924. Many of the workers were immigrants and wanted to hold a big parade like the ones in Europe. So, they dressed in costumes and borrowed some animals from the zoo. They also carried small balloons that floated just overhead.

Performers and balloons pass through 59th Street during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP)

Many professional American football games are also played on Thanksgiving. Fans of the sport enjoy relaxing and watching a game or two after eating a big Thanksgiving meal.
Some start Thanksgiving Day early - and in a healthy way. So-called “Turkey Trot” races take place in many towns and cities. These events involve runners dressing up in a Thanksgiving-related costume and running a short distance -- usually five kilometers.

A runner with a hat shaped into a piece of pumpkin pie takes part in the 40th annual Turkey Trot to raise money for the Denver chapter of the United Way in south Denver on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013.

Many Turkey Trots urge runners to bring canned food to donate to local food banks -- non-profit organizations that give food to poor people in a community.
Serving those less fortunate
Certainly, not everyone in America has an easy Thanksgiving. The United States is home to many poor and homeless people. Some cannot afford a Thanksgiving dinner. Others are without friends or families. Many religious and service organizations around the country try to fill these needs. Some provide community dinners at churches and other centers. Some groups also deliver Thanksgiving meals to people too sick or old to leave their homes.

Then-President Barack Obama participates in a Thanksgiving service project by handing out food at the Capital Area Food Bank on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013 in Washington. The Capital Area Food Bank distributes 30 million pounds of food annually. (AP Photo)

The writer O. Henry called Thanksgiving the one holiday that is purely American. It is not linked to a religion or a certain group. Anyone in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November is welcome to celebrate Thanksgiving.