Make this Thanksgiving Day truly meaningful

The long awaited Thanksgiving Day is finally here.  It's turkey feasting and celebration time. Time to come together, sing and feast.  Time to give thanks for bountiful harvest, good things in life and for the countless blessings.
One of the oldest traditions in the US and Canada, the very notion of this day is gratitude and thankfulness. Gratitude not only towards what we eat on this particular day but also for the food that we are blessed with through the year. Families get together to give thanks for food on the tables. In the United States, the day is observed every fourth Thursday of November, while in Canada it is observed in October.
Now one of the most important meals for an average American family, Thanksgiving meal traces its history to somewhere in the middle of 1600's when the pilgrims had come to the continent. Evolved into more contemporary and popular traditions, Thanksgiving celebrations now just don’t mean a sumptuous family meal; it now also involves football and Friday sales. As it falls on a Thursday, a long weekend lies ahead for the revelers as they enjoy the bumper sales offered by the commercial centres and watching football on television with family and friends.
Originated as a harvest festival, Thanksgiving Day today is observed by many Christians worldwide. It may, however, have different significance for different people in different places. And the style of celebrations varies. Native Americans honour the fall harvest in rich traditional style with feasting and fun long before Europeans stepped in their boundaries. But in its essence, it remains an occasion that people enjoy with their family and friends over a delicious spread of Turkey roast and meat pies, as they give thanks to God. it is celebrated as a day to thank god for good times.
As you prepare for the big celebration ahead, here are a few suggestions for the day that will take some of the burden off of you:
Make a list of your guests and invite them well in advance. Confirm their attendance at least two days before you actually start preparing finally for the celebration.
Set the menu after confirming the number of guests. Prepare the list of items you need for the meal. Shop a day before to avoid confusion of last minute grocery.
        
Place order in advance for the ready-made bakery, turkey and other items that might sell out quickly because of high demand.
        
If some items like pumpkin pie, cookie and cakes can be prepared a day before, then do not hesitate to do so. Everything cannot be made fresh on the same day. Prepare few things which can be refrigerated and need not to be made fresh.
         
Arrange some snacks like cookies and sandwiches before the dinner so that you and your guest would not be starving till the meal time.
        
For vegetarians you can replace turkey with tofu so that everyone can enjoy the meal.
        
Guest room and table decoration can be done prior to the day. Place scented candles and artificial flower bouquets to fill the corners.
You can make a thanksgiving fresh flower arrangement and place on the centre of the dining table. Turkey-shaped thanksgiving tags or turkey napkin holder is a good idea to strengthen the flavour of the festival.
       
There should be proper and enough sitting arrangements for the guests.
        
You can organise a football game at your backyard for family and friends.
  
After the meal, spend a little time to express your gratitude towards the people around you. Give thanks to God and people even for small things to convey the true meaning of the Thanksgiving Day. 

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