Thanksgiving is a North American harvest holiday, celebrated in both the United States and Canada. Traditionally, families gather together on Thanksgiving day to eat a large feast.

Thanksgiving is secular in nature and is meant as a day to give thanks for the benefits one has experienced over the previous year. In a historical sense, it was intended as an opportunity to give literal thanks to God for the year's harvest, which was coming to a close in mid-November.The Heritage Foundation: Giving Thanks to God

Many believe that the first Thanksgiving took place on December 4, 1619, when settlers near Jamestown required a day of thanksgiving to God, however an earlier feast took place in 1541 when Coronado celebrated a feast of Thanksgiving in Texas. In 1578, explorer Martin Frobisher hosted a formal celebration to give thanks after surviving the difficult journey to Newfoundland, establishing Thanksgiving roots in Canada. The Thanksgiving most Americans think of as the origin was in 1621, when the Native American Squanto helped the Pilgrims grow corn, and the different races shared a meal together.Library of Congress: Thanksgiving Timeline Twilight Bridge: History and Origin of Canadian Thanksgiving Scholastic: The First Thanksgiving Feast

At least two football games are played every Thanksgiving, one with the Detroit Lions and another with the Dallas Cowboys. This event is called the Thanksgiving Classic.Pro Football HOF: Thanksgiving Day game results

Macy's also holds an annual parade featuring floats, balloons, dancers and an appearance by Santa Claus at the end to signify the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.Macy's: Thanksgiving Day Parade

• • Mahalo's Guide to Thanksgiving Recipes
• All Recipes: Thanksgiving Recipe Collection
• Food Network: Thanksgiving Recipes and Menus
• Food & Wine: Thanksgiving Master Recipe Index
• Epicurious.com: Thanksgiving Recipes and Cooking Tips
• In a Vegetarian Kitchen: Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu and Recipes
• Martha Stewart: Thanksgiving Recipes

• • Mahalo's Guide to the History of Thanksgiving
• Howstuffworks: How Thanksgiving Works
• Wikipedia: History of Thanksgiving in the United States
• History.com: The History of Thanksgiving
• Scholastic: The First Thanksgiving
• Infoplease: Thanksgiving Traditions: A Presidential Pardon
• About.com: Top 5 Family Thanksgiving Traditions