Thanksgiving Day 2013

Turkey and TV – and it’s not even Christmas!

If you thought eating turkey was just for Christmas, you couldn’t be more wrong. On Thursday 28 November, many of your American counterparts will be tucking into this tasty bird, together with potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, vegetables and pumpkin pie. And they’ll be eating lots of turkey – roughly 535 million pounds of the stuff. But ‘why?’ we hear you ask, when Christmas is still less than a month away. The answer is simple – it’s Thanksgiving Day.
 

Thanksgiving Day is always celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It’s a time for people to give thanks for what they have and brings families and friends together for a special meal. Indeed, the average American will travel 214 miles to visit family and friends for the holiday.

But how did it all start? Thanksgiving Day has been an annual holiday in the United States since 1863, but many claim the first American Thanksgiving took place in 1621 with the pilgrims’ harvest celebration in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Others believe the first true thanksgiving was in 1623, when these same pilgrims gave thanks for rain that ended a drought. Whatever the date, people back then expressed their thanks in a special church service, rather than a feast.

Nowadays, Thanksgiving Day is very much focused on food, football and fun parades. Turkey is traditionally eaten because it was once a rare treat. During the 1830s, an eight- to ten-pound bird cost a day’s wages. What’s more, it was actually roast turkey, albeit in foil packets, that was the first meal eaten by Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin on the moon.

Spending hours watching football on Thanksgiving is a holiday favourite for many fans. This Thanksgiving, the Detroit Lions will play against the Green Bay Packers, the Dallas Cowboys will do battle with the Oakland Raiders, and the Pittsburgh Steelers will compete against the Baltimore Ravens. But if football doesn’t appeal, there’s always Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to watch on TV or in person, if you happen to find yourself in New York. The parade, which has now been running for almost 90 years, is watched by 3.5 million people each year and attracts 50 million TV viewers. Local Thanksgiving parades also take place.

So if you’re an American in England − or just someone who loves all things American − and are thinking of hosting a Thanksgiving dinner, there’s a whole range of American paraphernalia available to make you feel at home. Dress up in a Stars and Stripes top hat or American flag eye mask, or set your table with USA Flying Colours napkins, paper cups and plates. After all, if you can’t make it to the USA, why not bring the USA to you!

Guy Fawkes Night

Remember, remember, the fifth of November

When the first firework you light on 5 November lights up the sky, falling to earth like a shower of colourful rain, will you be remembering the man who turned this date into an annual celebration in the UK?

His name is Guy Fawkes and in 1605 he tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament. However, he got caught before he managed to put his plan into action and was subsequently executed. He didn’t act alone, however. He was one of a group of 13 young men who wanted to assassinate King James I and his followers at the state opening of Parliament.

When Guy Fawkes was discovered, so were 36 barrels of gunpowder. These were stacked in the cellar directly below where the king would have been sitting. As to the huge quantity of gunpowder, Guy Fawkes explained it was needed ‘to blow you Scotch beggars back to your own native mountains!’ The irony, however, is that the gunpowder was believed to have actually decayed. So, if it had been lit, it may not have even exploded. But, of course, we’ll never know for certain because Guy Fawkes and the other conspirators got caught before trying to ignite the powder.

To commemorate the failure of the Gunpowder Plot, as it has become known, people have been lighting bonfires for almost 420 years. The practice started on the night of 5 November 1605 to celebrate the safety of King James I. By the 19^th century, effigies of Guy Fawkes started being placed on bonfires. And today the tradition continues with the addition of fireworks, to remind us of the gunpowder that Guy Fawkes hid in the cellar of Parliament.

But one questions remains. When you do set light to that first firework on Bonfire Night, will you be celebrating Guy Fawkes' execution or honouring his attempt to do away with the government?

If you're looking to enhance your Bonfire Night celebration, why not get in some sparklers? They're sure to add to the fun at any fireworks party. And it won't just be the children who love 'em!