Americans flocked to parades, packed football stadiums, and gathered more freely for family feasts on Thursday, grateful to celebrate Thanksgiving Day traditions again after the pandemic kept many at home last year.
The holiday dates to the early 17th century, when Pilgrims from Europe and Native Americans gathered to share the autumn bounty—a celebration of goodwill between the locals who had helped the newcomers survive a harsh winter in an unfamiliar land. Nowadays, the approach of the long holiday weekend typically ignites a frenzy of travel as scattered families come together for holiday meals.
