Ways of Celebrating

Family, Charity, Sport and Commerce

While the main icons of Thanksgiving celebration in our culture involve a family gathered around the dinner table, this holiday has been observed in multiple ways throughout its history. Some of these, past, present, or both, have included hunting, playing or watching football, raucous public merry-making in some communities, carrying out acts of charity or community service, gathering in communal settings such as homeless shelters, and many more.

This section of our prototype Web site, currently under construction, will offer diverse textual, visual, and other materials for exploring the varied ways Thanksgiving has been observed and the light that sheds on our history and culture.