There are always some things we've come to expect from Thanksgiving Day each year, including eating a delicious meal of turkey and cranberry sauce, watching the big game, or having vehicular travel with family members – everyone has their own time-honored traditions and individual ways to celebrate. However, while enjoying the pleasant time with the ones you love, have you ever wondered how Thanksgiving Day starts?

Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada.

Americans generally believe that their Thanksgiving is modeled on a 1621 harvest feast shared by the English immigrants of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people. In Britain, these immigrants were called Puritans. They were dissatisfied with the incomplete English Reformation, as well as the political repression and religious persecution they had always suffered, so they decided to leave away to seek a new home where they could freely practice their faith.

In September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower arrived in America, carrying 102 passengers. Most of them remained on board the ship in that winter, where they suffered from exposure, scurvy, and outbreaks of contagious disease. Only half of the Mayflower's original passengers and crew lived to see their first New England spring. These remaining settlers moved ashore in March and received a warm welcome from the native Wampanoag people who not only sent these strangers with daily necessities but also taught them how to hunt, fish, and grow corm.

In October 1621, the event that Americans commonly call the "First Thanksgiving" was celebrated by the Puritans and Wampanoag after their first harvest. They gathered around the bonfire, eating and chatting, singing and dancing – it is recorded that the feast lasted for three days.

Thanksgiving in the United States has been observed on differing dates. From the time of the Founding Fathers until the time of Lincoln, the date of observance varied from state to state. It was not until 1863 that Abraham Lincoln set national Thanksgiving by proclamation for the final Thursday in November. On December 26, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a joint resolution of Congress changing the national Thanksgiving Day to the fourth Thursday in November, and the holiday would last from Thursday to Sunday.

Canadian Thanksgiving also originated in the colonial period, arising from the same European traditions, in gratitude for safe journeys, peace, and bountiful harvests.

As the story goes, in 1578, the English explorer Martin Frobisher and his crew gave thanks and communion was observed, either on land at Frobisher Bay or onboard a ship anchored there. The explorers dined on salt beef, biscuits, and mushy peas and gave thanks through communion for their safe arrival in Newfoundland. This is now accepted as the first Canadian Thanksgiving, forty-three years before the first American Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving in Canada did not have a fixed date until the late 19th century. The first official Canadian Thanksgiving occurred on April 15, 1872, when the nation was celebrating the Prince of Wales' recovery from a serious illness. Later, in 1879 Parliament established a national Thanksgiving Day on November 6, but the date varied over the years. Since 1957 Thanksgiving Day has been celebrated in Canada on the second Monday in October.

As the most truly American of the national holidays in the United States, there are a variety of activities for Thanksgiving Day.

Feast. In many American households, the Thanksgiving celebration has lost much of its original religious significance; instead, it now centers on cooking and sharing a bountiful meal with family and friends. The traditional stuffed turkey adorns every dinner table during the feast. Other typical foods include stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.

Turkey Pardon. According to the National Turkey Federation, nearly 90 percent of Americans eat turkey at Thanksgiving. However, there are always two turkeys that will be "pardoned" - the president of the United States receives a gift of two live turkeys each year, and he "pardons" the National Thanksgiving Turkeys, sparing the birds from slaughter and sending them to a farm for retirement. This tradition began during the Presidency of George H. W. Bush.

Volunteer. Thanksgiving is a great time to help out people who might not be as lucky as you. Communities often hold food drives and host free dinners for the homeless. Don't hesitate to take part in these meaningful activities.

Parades. Parades have also become an integral part of the holiday in cities and towns across the United States. Starting in 1924, the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's, is the world's largest and most famous parade. It typically features marching bands, performers, elaborate floats conveying various celebrities, and giant balloons shaped like cartoon characters.

Football Games. Watching NFL football during Thanksgiving is a popular tradition. Or maybe you prefer to play one outside.