5 Things That Happen In America On Thanksgiving, But Probably Didn’t Happen With The Pilgrims

On the fourth Thursday this month, most Americans will have the day off and celebrate Thanksgiving. Some reflect, some state their gratitude, some just eat. Here's 5 things that happen on Thanksgiving, BUT probably didn't happen with the Pilgrims.

When the Pilgrims arrived and met the Native people in what became America, we have these romatic pictures of the two peoples sharing food and drink and good times, teaching each other the value of being thankful for what you have. Times have changed, according to Voices Of America's Jessica Stahl, here's 5 things that are vastly different from the way Thanksgiving started.

1) Christmas Starts-Whether you like it or not, most stores are open on Thanksgiving this year, so, that means Christmas starts. At midnight, that's when most radio stations and stores begin playing Christmas music. You can watch the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which features giant balloons and elaborate floats marching down the streets of New York celebrating Christmas, not Thanksgiving.

2) Alcohol sales skyrocket-Thanksgiving is one of the biggest for alcohol sales. Why wouldn't it be? Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all the days in between are times that most American's relatives and family visit they visit them, how do you get through it, Love....and Jack Daniels straight! Or, you are expected to add to the family bar when you get to the party. Maybe you take a few pops off the White Zin you brought.

3) Football mania-There are 3 games on Thanksgiving this year. There used to be 2. That's just the NFL, there are college games too. There is one in the morning, afternoon, and night. So that means if you want guys to help with the dishes or food storage and clean up, you have to put cable in the kitchen. Can you imagine a household that has fans that are men and women. Probably Chinese take out or Pizza that night.

4) Creative Eating:

• Turkey is the traditional Thanksgiving dish, but there are other foods that are parts of the feast that are a bit on the stranger side:
• Green bean casserole – or as we say, HOT DISH, beans, cream of mushroom soup, and fried onions on top. Sweet potatoes with marshmallows – could be dessert, but it's a side dish. Let's take healthy sweet potatoes and make them so they can give us diabetes and high blood pressure, add a pound of butter and marshmallows.
• Stuffing – a way to eat more bread. Some people stuff it in the back end of a turkey and then eat it. So you kill the turkey, then to mock it, you stuff flavored bread inside the carcass. Personally, I would rather eat a 9 x 13 pan of this than anything else on Thanksgiving.
• Pies – not really a weird food, but the sheer volume of pies that are made for Thanksgiving.There's pumpkin, apple, cherry, rhubarb, strawberry, blueberry, mudd (just seeing if you are still reading), and combinations of all of these.

5) Celebrating Thanksgiving-Americans like to dress up like pilgrims and show the first feast with the native Americans. Did it really happen that way? Whose idea was it to eat these foods, and how did they make hot dish and stuffing. I'm thinking The original Thanksgiving had many nuts and berries, turkey, corn and other veggies. They weren't dressed in well ironed Quaker uniforms with clean well painted leather outfits for the natives.

Americans celebrate the legend of Thanksgiving, which tastes good to me.

Anyway, Have a Happy Thanksgiving!