What is Thanksgiving?

Question

Ok so educate me... 
I’m English so we don’t celebrate thanksgiving over here. I looked it up on Wikipedia and it’s ironic because on there it says it started as an English tradition but we do not have it here. I believe sometimes the best way to learn about something is to ask other people. 
I know it’s a national day and most celebrate it with a dinner with family, turkey and pumpkin pie but that’s it. 
What does thanksgiving mean to you? 
Do you have it as a national day off work, like a bank holiday? 
What are your traditions? 
What is so special that you must have at your dinner?

Answer

Hi over here it is the next biggest thing to Christmas so most places are closed. It all started when the first people sailed to America from England. They struggled with hunger so when the native Americans showed them how to garden and survive they started to have enough food to make the winter. So they made it a celebration. The dates for the holiday were different at first then they are now. Our 16th president was the one who set it to be the 3rd Thursday of November every year. To me it’s a day to sit back and think about how blessed God has made me and my family. We have a very large meal. Everybody’s meal isn’t the exact same but here is the meal

Answer

It’s a holiday where you get together with your entire family and think about/express how thankful you are for your family, friends, life, etc. 
most common foods are: Turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, corn, Brussels sprouts, rolls, green beans, gravy, pumpkin/apple pie, and more! Those are just the stereotypical foods but most families have their own twists like min always has garlic bread and mac and cheese!!
It’s always on the last Thursday in November (in the USA - in Canada it’s in October sometime) and started when the English came to America and were starving and the native Americans introduced them to the types of foods that live/grow natively here!

Answer

To my family it's about being thankful and being together. We have ham, turkey, dressing, pumpkin pie and whatever else we fancy. I don't have a lot of family on my side so it's a little sad that not many make an effort to be there. My husbands family Thanksgiving is beautiful he has a big family and his family is my family so it makes me feel so special to have them during the holiday seasons.

Answer

But what is a bank holiday tho

Answer

It’s a national holiday of food and family. It’s always on a Thursday so most people have Thursday and usually Friday off work. It’s the biggest travel holiday of the year in the US. I have family that travels from other states (NY and FL) every year to meet at my parents house near DC for Thanksgiving. 
My family and my husband’s family live only a few minutes apart, so we’ve done a double Thanksgiving every year for the past 10 years, so we can see and celebrate with both families. (so much eating!) We’ll do our Thanksgiving meal at my family’s house around 2pm and then go to my in-laws around 7pm for their dinner. My husband’s family is Vietnamese and my mother-in-law is an amazing cook. Every year she’ll do both a traditional american meal (turkey, stuffing, green beans, mashed potatoes) but will also make a whole vietnamese spread as well. (spring rolls, noodle dishes, soups, seafood) Dessert at both houses is all about the pie: pumpkin pie, pecan pie, apple pie, chocolate pie

Answer

I learned yesterday it's a Puritan holiday. It's their 30 days of thankfulness before Christmas. We don't celebrate that as a family just eat food and we go around and mention something we're thankful for.

What is Thanksgiving?

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