Happy Thanksgiving
Today, on 4th Thursday of every November, America is celebrating Thanksgiving Day. The schools are closed for better part of this week; most of the businesses close Thursday though Sunday. Everybody is in a festive mood.
The American Thanksgiving holiday traces its origins back to 1621 when newly arrived Pilgrims from England held a harvest feast after a successful crop growing season. For more on the history of the holiday, you can take a look at Wikipedia or search online…. 
So, it is a harvest festival. Over the years, however, it has become a ‘Turkey Day’ – every feast for every family gathering is supposed to include baked or roasted turkey. Cooking a 20 pound turkey is an adventure in itself. There are live help-lines where you can call toll-free from your kitchen for help, if cooking is not going the way you expected; the nice ladies on the other end of the phone are always full of tips and tricks to help you out. This – ‘the turkey tip line’ – is one of the businesses they cannot outsource to India or China, at least not yet!
Thanksgiving is the time to thank, as can tell by the name itself – duh! It is time to thank God, family and friends. It is time to thank God for all the good things and good karma bestowed on you. It is time to thank friends and family for their support, for their love, and for standing with you throughout the year. So no doubt, there is lots of feasting, lost of family gatherings and yes, some praying involved.
Regardless where you live, where you come from, or which culture you belong to, the festivals have a similar theme all around the globe. The three main components of most of the festivals are family, eating and praying – may be in varying degrees.
However, perhaps the most fun thing about Thanksgiving is shopping!!
The day after the Thanksgiving, often called Black Friday, is the busiest shopping day of the year; the start of Christmas shopping season. Some of the best deals and bargains are offered on this day, the stores open at 5AM or sooner, and if you want to find a decent parking spot, you better get their long before…..A mob scene at its best! Read the rest of this entry »
