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Each year, the holiday begins with the president pardoning 2 turkeys from becoming someone's Thanksgiving dinner. President Henry Truman started this tradition in 1947. "So now I have a task and that is to grant a full presidential pardon to May and flower,they will shortly be flown to Disney World where they will serve as Honorary Grand Marshals for the Thanksgiving Day parade. Hope that honor doesn't go to their head. "

Last year's turkeys were May and Flower, a reference to the ship that sailed nearly 400 years ago from Plymouth, England to America. And in the fall of 1621, these Plymouth pilgrims celebrated a bountiful harvest with local American Indians.

Since the 1600s, Thanksgiving has morphed into a holiday in the United States, marked by extravagant parades , feasts, and the opening of the Christmas shopping season. The Macy's Day parade in New York is one of the major festivity to mark Thanksgiving each year. Approximately 2.5 million people are expected to attend the parade this year while 44 million will watch it on television at home. The parade serves as a reminder that the holiday season is in full swing.

This Friday, many Americans will rise early the day after Thanksgiving to take advantage of discounts at retail shops around the country. Last year, the National Retail Federation estimated more than 60 million people shopped that day.

Brian Allen , VOA News.

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