24 Nov 2011 – Happy Turkey Day…
On Thanksgiving, Pass the Pigskin
For many U.S. citizens, Thanksgiving without football is as unthinkable as the Fourth of July without fireworks. NBC Radio broadcast the first national Thanksgiving Day game in 1934, when the Detroit Lions hosted the Chicago Bears.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
For a festive few, even turkey takes a backseat to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, originally called the Macy’s Christmas parade, because it kicked off the shopping season. The tradition began in 1924, when employees recruited animals from the Central Park Zoo to march on Thanksgiving Day.
Helium-filled balloons made their debut in the parade in 1927 and, in the early years, were released above the city skyline with the promise of rewards for their finders.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, first televised nationally in 1947, now draws some 44 million viewers-not counting the 3 million people who actually line the 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) Manhattan route.
Thanksgiving weekend also boasts the retail version of the Super Bowl—Black Friday, when massive sales and early opening times attract frugal shoppers.
Whatever Thanksgiving may or may not mean, one can always be thankful for our blessings, not just today but everyday. Thankful that my immediate family have arrived safely to meet up in FL/USA. Will be thankful and looking forward to a family reunion with my extended family this Sat. To friends, appreciate and grateful for your friendship.
If you want to catch a feel good movie, go see Tower Heist where you can have glim to what the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan is about!
Happy Thanksgiving & Safe Journeys to all.
