Today is one of the United States‘ few annual holidays which most of its inhabitants regardless of origin, age, or creed cherish and when families reunite unlike any other time of year except Christmas. Always observed the fourth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving is so deep-rooted at least in part because it’s rooted deeply in the beginnings of this country’s history, when in 1621 it’s said the recently arrived Pilgrim settlers from England shared a harvest feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts with the natives already living here, ancestors of today’s Wampanoag Nation (an association which started amicably enough but - as usual - of course eventually didn’t end too well for the locals).
The traditional meal usually includes a whole turkey “with all the trimmings”, such as bread stuffing and gravy, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie, although regional variations have since sprung up in other regions with other cultural traditions, such as South Florida, California, and the Southwest. In more recent decades, the holiday has also come to include – especially for the men of the family – a TV marathon of American-football watching, and sometimes even a family game out on the lawn.
So if you’re thinking of a trip to the USA in the coming year, consider visiting then to be a part of one of this country’s most cherished holidays. And here are five places to experience it at its most typical!
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