12 Thanksgiving Traditions That Have Stuck Around—And Where They Actually Came From

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Thanksgiving is a US holiday rich in history and traditions. From roast turkey dinners to elaborate parades, the holiday is a unique experience.

Most people think of Thanksgiving, the fourth Thursday in November, as a time of American football games, huge family dinners, and quirky decorations. However, the holiday’s origins lie in the harvest celebrations of the native peoples.

Since then, the holiday has grown from legends, traditions, and exciting events to become one of the most popular American holidays. Below are 12 unique Thanksgiving traditions and their sometimes surprising origins.

Turkey Dinners

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It’s hard to have Thanksgiving without a turkey. Even vegans try their hardest to turn their plant-based loaf into something that resembles turkey.

Turkey is native to North America, and Indigenous people from Mexico to Canada have perfected it in their cuisine. After the Europeans colonized the American East Coast, turkeys started appearing on menus around the world.

Before the Thanksgiving feast, people select the biggest turkeys they can find. Some people in the United States even hunt their own. Regardless of where people get them, turkeys are a mainstay of the Thanksgiving meal.

Presidential Turkey Pardon

This odd tradition started in the 19th century when presidents were often gifted turkeys from the public. This tradition picked up in the early 20th century, with turkey gifts coming in from all corners of the country.

In 1947, the White House started presenting turkeys it received from the US poultry industry. In front of reporters, some presidents even made the humorous gesture of pardoning the turkey.

In 1989, President George H. W. Bush gave the first official presidential turkey pardon. Since then, each president has followed the tradition.

Thanksgiving Parades

You can’t have Thanksgiving without a parade. From the first parades in Philadelphia and Detroit in the 1920s to the modern spectacle of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, these shows are over the top.

Every Thanksgiving, small towns and big cities in the US host elaborate parades dedicated to Thanksgiving. People line up en masse to see their favorite holiday characters wave at them from decorated floats.

And then there’s the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. Like many Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions in the US, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade effortlessly blends them. You’ll see giant inflatable turkeys and balloons, Santa Clauses, reindeer, and pumpkins parading down Manhatten.

Friendsgiving

Although many people in the US love spending time with family, some people link up with their friends to celebrate the holiday. Friendsgiving, as the holiday has become known, is Thanksgiving spent with friends.

Because of the size of the US, traveling during the holidays is sometimes difficult and expensive. People in the early 2000s started coining the term ‘Friendsgiving’ to acknowledge the event apart from the traditional Thanksgiving with family.

Today, Friendsgiving can fall on Thanksgiving Day or several days before or after. Many people celebrate Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving. Double the turkey dinners, double the fun.

Black Friday

Most Americans view Thanksgiving as the gateway to Christmas. Black Friday is when the gluttonous endorphins wear off and the zombie-like obsession with buying a newly released toy or gadget before anyone else can kicks in. Aka, the beginning of the Christmas season.

Black Friday gets its name after the Army-Navy football matches of the 1950s. The day after Thanksgiving, spectators would fill the bars following the game and cause problems for the local authorities, who dubbed the day ‘Black Friday’.

The day is when stores and homes replace their inflatable turkeys and fall-colored decorations with tinsel. It’s also the day when people overeat the leftovers and head into the weekend in a food coma.

Leftover Mystery Dishes

From turkey sandwiches to strange Thanksgiving leftover casseroles, there’s no limit to the surprising dishes you can make with leftovers. Each family and home cook has their recipes for leftovers. Most, however, just choose to wing it.

The typical courses for a turkey dinner include roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, yams, and roasted vegetables. With these dishes, you can make an endless variety of leftover combos.

The most common Thanksgiving leftover dish is the good ol’ turkey sandwich. It’s become so popular that many restaurants serve it on their menus before and after Thanksgiving, giving their customers a taste of the holiday whenever they want it.

Thanksgiving Football

Since the late 19th century, Americans have played football on Thanksgiving Day. This was usually one of the few times people had off from work. Families and friends would get together before the meal and expend some calories before stuffing themselves silly.

The first matches between big college teams soon turned into annual events. Since the 1930s, professional football teams have faced off. Games between division rivals such as the Detroit Lions and Greenbay Packers became holiday traditions.

Today, many Americans enjoy Thanksgiving football before the meal. The holiday games are often the most broadcasted NFL matches next to the Superbowl championships.

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkins are an Indigenous American fruit with a very long history in the continent’s cuisine. When the English brought their love of pies and everything sweat with them in the 16th century, it wasn’t long until these massive gourds wound up in a pie.

Pumpkins matured shortly before Thanksgiving and grew almost everywhere in the lower 48 states. In the 17th and 18th centuries, pumpkin pie became synonymous with Thanksgiving dessert.

Today, the pie is one of the most famous pastry dishes from the US. Although pumpkin pie is also popular on Christmas, it is one of the most important dishes on the Thanksgiving dinner table.

Turkey Trots

Running on Thanksgiving may seem like a recipe for disaster but many people choose to do it. Since the 1980s, people have organized small running groups called Turkey Trots.

Participants wear holiday-inspired clothing and hit the trails and roads. Most Turkey Trots are short-distance runs while other groups have tackled long-distance runs. The most famous long-distance turkey trot stretched from Milwaukee to Chicago, around 100 miles.

Turkey Trots are usually associated with charity events. Volunteer runners gather donations to give to their favorite local charities.

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving Traditions and Their Origins Volunteering — © Syda Productions / Adobe Stock

Thanksgiving originates from before the Europeans set foot on the continent. For many Native Americans, giving thanks for a bountiful fall harvest was an important annual tradition filled with celebrations and appreciation for family, good food, and life.

Today, the original sentiment of giving thanks is preserved in unique family traditions. From religious prayers to general sentiments, giving thanks is at the core of the holiday.

Many families and groups of friends share stories and thankful messages in a circle. People often reflect on the year and what they appreciate. For some families, giving thanks is a moment of peace in between arguments and overeating.

Visiting Family

For many Americans, it’s a time to reunite with family and this means travel — and heated arguments over sports and politics, thanks to Uncle Rick. From expensive plane flights to long-distance buses, people in the US will pay an arm and a leg to travel for hours.

Family get-togethers are full of catching up, playing sports and board games, and often cooking. Many families do potlucks while others rely on one family member to cook, no matter how bad they are.

The holiday can be filled with fun, laughter, and occasionally happy tears. More often than not people overeat turkey and opt to nap in front of the TV.

Volunteering

Whether it’s serving food to the houseless or simply donating to charity, volunteering on Thanksgiving is a common form of celebration. Many Americans love to get together with friends and family to help others.

Throughout the country, organizations such as Meals on Wheels deliver food to people in need. Other organizations focus on cleaning up parks and beaches.

As the holiday approaches, many charities and local soup kitchens collect donations for making meals in public kitchens. These food drives happen in churches and convention centers across the country. For the ultimate Thanksgiving Day experience, there’s nothing better than volunteering during the holiday and serving food to people in need.