U.S. Thanksgiving: Celebrate the changing of the seasons, family gatherings and enjoy some football!

This great holiday on the American calendar celebrates family gatherings and marks the begining of the festive holiday season.

For both Americans and Canadians it is also a great time for watching football !

Thanksgiving:

Traditionally a time of rejoicing after reaping a bountiful harvest, Thanksgiving today has become more about sharing time with family and friends. For many of us, it’s also about marking the changing of the seasons and kicking off the beginning of the holiday season. One feature of the holiday has remained since its beginnings hundreds of years ago: The sharing of a hearty meal with others.

Keep reading – we have suggestions for preparing your feast, mixing up some warming drinks, decorating with a harvest theme, and creating a holiday to remember.

Giving Thanks:

Americans give thanks on the fourth Thursday of November. The first recorded American Thanksgiving took place in 1621, to commemorate the Pilgrims’ first successful harvest in the New World . It was shared with the Indian tribes of the New World , who had played a major role in the Pilgrims’ survival. The custom of an annually celebrated thanksgiving, held after the harvest, continued through the years. During the American Revolution (late 1770s) a day of national thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress.

In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom. By the middle of the 19th century many other states also celebrated a Thanksgiving Day. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln appointed a national day of thanksgiving. Since then each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, usually designating the fourth Thursday of each November as the holiday. Thanksgiving in the U.S. is also a time for football, and marks the unofficial beginning of the winter holiday season.

Decorating: Think earthy and natural

Fall decorating offers a welcome bridge between the pastels of

ummer and the jewel tones of the holiday season. Transforming your home with the colors and textures of harvest time is as easy and fun as a trip to your local farmers’ market. Focus on warm tones of orange, russet, yellow and brown, and use natural materials wherever possible. A few ideas:

•  Tie together bunches of colorful Indian corn (use odd numbers) with raffia, and hang from doorknobs or in place of wreaths

•  Use twine to tie together large bunches of corn stalks around columns on your front porch

• Create a fall display with a few straw bales and some pumpkins (straw can be used later as garden mulch or added to the compost pile)

•  Reserve some straw to stuff a homemade scarecrow to greet your guests – grab some old jeans, a shirt and hat, and have fun with it!

•  Throughout the house, group together small squashes and gourds. Use a melon baller to make holes in the gourds that will hold tealights – also makes a great table centerpiece

• Spread an earth-toned or white tablecloth on the table, scatter colorful fall leaves, and top with a clear plastic cloth for an easy, nique effect

•  Make your own fall wreath: This is a great project to do with the kids. Gather colorful leaves and dry them for several days between pages of a telephone book, or lightly iron them between sheets of waxed paper (use low heat, and cover the paper with a towel). Group the leaves together into bunches, and wrap stems with floral tape. Use a light-gauge paddle wire to attach them to a wire wreath form.

•  Replace tired annuals in your window boxes with groupings of small squashes and gourds (fill in any gaps with dried leaves). Another option is to fill the boxes with dried wheat, rye or other grains (set inside cans or jars within the box). The same idea can be replicated indoors by filling terra-cotta pots with floral oasis, then inserting dried grain stalks (group three or more pots of different grains together for maximum effect).

	Thanksgiving hostess gifts If you’ve been invited to someone else’s Thanksgiving table, here are a few suggestions for thoughtful hostess gifts: Embroidered fall-themed cloth napkins or tea towels Scented hot pad for the Thanksgiving table A jug of apple cider (pasteurized) with mulling spices One (or several) spice-scented pillar candles in harvest colors A bottle of port or sherry (see our feature on fortified wine for ideas) A pretty Thanksgiving soup tureen, serving bowl or platter.

Thanksgiving drinks: Smooth, warm and spicy

Greet your holiday guests with a pre-meal aperitif to whet their appetites. Offer a glass of sherry, a Sidecar cocktail, or our Thanksgiving cocktail . For a non-alcoholic option, have a pot of mulled cider simmering on the stove (bonus: it makes the house smell great!).

Check out our autumn colored drinks feature for more drink ideas:... autumn_colors

The Thanksgiving feast: A little planning goes a long way

Traditionally, turkey or ham is the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal. And for many of us, the task of preparing a large bird with

all the trimmings – with everything

ready at the same time -- can be daunting. A few tips for making the task less overwhelming:

1. Plan your meal, create your grocery list, and do your shopping several days in advance to avoid the last-minute mayhem.
2. Decide which drinks you’ll be serving alongside your food menu, and purchase all wines, spirits and mixes in advance.
3. Don’t be afraid to say “yes” when others ask if they can bring dishes. If homemade apple or pumpkin pie isn't your specialty, let Aunt Ida do the work. Even side dishes like sweet potatoes or green beans can easily be provided byothers. If oven space will be at a premium, ask that your other cooks bring their dishes warm (wrapping the casserole in a towel and placing in a cooler helps to seal in heat).
4. Do as much as possible ahead of time: Bake and freeze cornbread, pies, and other desserts weeks in advance; cut up vegetables and drink garnishes; assemble casseroles; and make cranberry relish, dips and dressings one or two days before. Potatoes can even be peeled a day ahead and kept in cold water in the refrigerator.
5. If cooking isn’t your thing, order a roasted turkey (and anyother parts of your meal) from a local deli or restaurant.
6. Clean your refrigerator out the week before to make lots of room for leftovers.
7. Set the table and select your music (either pre-load the CD player or leave only your selections next to it) the day before.
8. Set out all serving bowls, platters and utensils (labeled with the dishes they will serve, if necessary) the day before – if you run short, there’s still time to ask guests to bring extras.

For tips and recipes for preparing a classic Thanksgiving feast that even vegetarians will love, check out the Food Network’s Thanksgiving feature .

And for a pretty, delicious appetizer or addition to your dessert table, try our caramel apple dip – use red and green apples arranged on an eye-catching fall platter for maximum effect.

Caramel Apple Dip

1 container of spreadable cream cheese

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 container of caramel dip

3 Skor chocolate bars

Mix cream cheese and brown sugar. Spread on platter. Spoon on caramel sauce (warm slightly first for ease of spreading; you may not need the whole container). Place chocolate bars in blender and pulse until they become fine crumbs. Sprinkle over caramel. Serve ith sliced apples (tip : place freshly cut apple slices in lemon-lime soda to prevent from browning. Drain.)

Food safety Tip:

A case of food poisoning is a sure way to take the fun out of your Thanksgiving celebration. Be sure to exercise caution when buying, storing and preparing your turkey. Check out http://www.cspinet.org/reports/safetips.htm for important tips and reminders about food safety throughout the holiday.

Thanksgiving rituals: Beyond the after-dinner nap

Most of us look forward each year to feasting on Thanksgiving turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie -- and to having a nap after dinner. This year, why not mark the occasion by creating some family-oriented, inter-generational Thanksgiving rituals you can come back to each year?

Thanksgiving round table : Let everyone participate in the spirit of the holiday by having each guest share what he or she is thankful for that year.

Thanksgiving journal : Create a keepsake book filled with recipes, photos and memories from each year’s celebration. Display it for your guests’ enjoyment during Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving portrait : If this is one of the few occasions during the year that the whole family (and friends) are together, be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to take a group photo. If possible, assemble everyone on the front porch (which you’ve festooned in harvest decorations, of course) or in another location that captures the feel of the season, staggering some people on steps, some in chairs. Be sure to send copies of the photo to everyone later, and add one to your Thanksgiving journal.

Giving back : Give something back to your community by donating canned goods, or helping to serve a Thanksgiving dinner for the less fortunate at a local soup kitchen or church. Make this a starting point for year-round involvement, not just during the holidays.

Family touch football game : Burn off some of dinner’s calories (or work up an appetite) with an all-hands-on-deck game of touch football. Provide folding chairs and warm drinks for those who aren’t quite up to playing – they can still be enthusiastic cheerleaders.

Name that dance : Have a member of each generation dance their favorite dance. Players try to name the dance, then everyone tries to do it.

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