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All things Thanksgiving
History
Children's activities
Recipes, crafts, etc.
Football
Hunting season
Entertainment
Travel conditions
Random - but cool - stuff
This Day in Rock 'n' Roll History
HISTORY
A look through some of these sites will give you a quick understanding of the history of Thanksgiving:
THANKSGIVING AROUND THE WORLD
Did ya know they celebrateThanksgiving in Canada too, eh? And they're real proud of it, too!
Thanksgiving Around the World, takes a look at some Thanksgiving celebrations in other cultures and religions. Austrians celebrate Thanksgiving by using goods from the harvest to weave a crown.
CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES
The folks in the Sesame Street family suggest a few ways to involve young children in the Thanksgiving preparations, including a nice idea for making wishes without the wishbone.
Little ones with fists full of crayons, might be satisfied at FamilyCorner.com, which has outlines of about half a dozen Thanksgiving images. The site offers printer-friendly versions to print out and pass around.
Although it offers a a variety of kids' activities, Childfun.com includes lyrics for a special group of Thanksgiving songs. What Thanksgiving Day would be complete without a rousing rendition of "Turkey on the Farm" to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus?"
If you're driving a car full of children to grandmother's house this week, check out The Learning Network's Thanksgiving page, which includes some activities to occupy traveling families.
Other sites with children's activities:
If you'd rather the children experienced Thanksgiving through a good book, check out this Tribune-Review article about Thanksgiving books. Suggested reading lists also are available from Kids Domain, the North of Boston Library Exchange and Rats2U.com (Don't let the site name throw you.)
RECIPES, CRAFTS, ETC.
And, if you haven't had enough fun exploring these links so far, here are other sites offering decorating ideas, history, recipes and other Thanksgiving stuff:
For those who are sparing the turkey this Thanksgiving, here are some vegetarian offerings:
FOOTBALL
Turking and stuffing are a traditional combination and so are Thanksgiving and Football. Or should that be Football and Thanksgiving?
The University of Pittsburgh and theSteelers will also be in action at Heinz Field on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
There will be plenty of college and NFL football over the long, holiday weekend. And high school football is still going strong with the PIAA football semifinal games.
HUNTING
For many Pennsylvanians, Thanksgiving Day is just the beginning of a holiday that doesn't end until the following Monday, or Tuesday, or even Wednesday. The Monday after Thanksgiving is the first day of Pennsylvania's buck season. This Thanksgiving weekend, thousands of hunters will head for cabins and campgrounds to prepare for Monday morning. The Pennsylvania Game Commission offers information on its Web site. You can also find the complete
hunting regulations in PDF format.
ENTERTAINMENT
If not just any movie will do, gather the family for some Thanksgiving-themed flicks:
The networks are kicking in with big movies over the holiday weekend. Adam Sandler takes over Fox with "The Wedding Singer" and "Big Daddy" on Thursday and Friday, respectively. CBS gets small with "The Rugrats Movie" Friday, and flies off with "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer" Saturday night. ABC presents "The Santa Clause" Sunday, going up against the TV premiere of "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" on Fox.
Other TV schedules:
FX, meanwhile, is running the Xballot Marathon - viewers are picking the lineup of shows from The Practice, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ally McBeal, The X-Files, and a selection of movies.
Oh, there's that parade thing too. NBC provides your coverage from 9 a.m. to 12 noon Thursday.
But if you're more in the mood to fast-forward ahead to another holiday, it's NBC that gives us the first sign of Christmas - no, not the mall sale fliers. Ring them bells, it's the annual broadcast of Frank Capra's classic "It's a Wonderful Life," starring Indiana, Pa.'s favorite son, Jimmy Stewart. You know the story, but you can't help being drawn in by the tale of George Bailey and Bedford Falls.
Want some more information, before you grab a cup of hot chocolate and get comfortable? Check out these links:
If you're venturing out to the theaters, check out this holiday movie guide.
TRAVEL
If you want to check road and weather conditions before you drive, you can check PennDOT's Road Weather Information System. Just click on an area of the map to find out the conditions either along your route or at your destination.
The Transportation Department's highway construction advisory map can give you some clues about construction projects along your route. Beware, however, the information is a little confusing. If you're planning to drive on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the turnpike commission has a page of construction updates for November.
The Federal Highway Administration maintains a page of links and information about traffic and construction conditions in every state, including Pennsylvania.
If you're traveling in the Pittsburgh area, check PittsburghLIVE's link to Traffic.com for traffic reports on local roads. Here's a prediction, though. On Friday, roads leading to all of the region's shopping centers will be JAMMED!
For a Pittsburgh-area weather forecast, check PittsburghLIVE Weather. If you need directions or a map, check MyPittsburghLIVE Maps.
RANDOM STUFF
Thanksgiving thoughts from Mark Twain
If you're in the mood for volunteering some time this holiday season, local organizations can use the help. Check the Salvation Army calendar and information about the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. The homeless shelter on Pittsburgh's North Side, Light of Life, has all of the volunteers it needs for Thanksgiving Day. But don't let that deter you, the shelter needs meal servers every day. If you're inclined to help on with a holiday meal, you can still sign up to help on Christmas Day. Call 412-322-4353 or e-mail mail@lightoflife.org
Take a pictorial tour of a Leechburg area turkey farm.
Do turkeys fly? How does "gobble, gobble" translate into Portuguese? Answers to these questions and more turkey trivia from Care2, a Web site for environmentalists.
And if you really want a trivia challenge, try the Thanksgiving trivia from the Quizland site. (Hint: You'll be better prepared if you read some of the history articles linked above!)
Got time for a quick joke?
Why did the turkey cross the road?
It was the chicken's day off.
HolidaySpot.com's Thanksgiving jokes page must be where everybody's oddball uncle goes to load up on those groaner jokes. Check it out if you want to beat Uncle Joe to the punch line.
Who will bring the turkey? One writer's musings as she prepares to host Thanksgiving dinner.
Anti-shopping: There are some who fight the raging commercialism of day-after-Thanksgiving shopping mania. Check out Buy Nothing Day and this tongue-in-cheek column about gift-grabbers.
THIS DAY IN ROCK 'N' ROLL HISTORY
If you've made it this far, you deserve something completely different. So here it is, the first annual traditional Thanksgiving this day in rock 'n' roll history!
51 years ago Little Steven, guitarist with the E Street Band, and Tina Weymouth, bassist with the Talking Heads are born.(1950)
36 years ago Tamla-Motown Records releases Stevie Wonder's "Uptight." Peaking at No. 1 one on the R&B chart and No. 3 on the pop chart, it will become the 15-year-old's biggest hit since "Fingertips Part Two" in 1963. (1965)
36 years ago Bob Dylan marries Sara Lowndes, a former model and divorcee' with a daughter, in a Nassau County civil ceremony. Four days later, Dylan leaves on a world tour, his first with the Band. It's not until February that Dylan acknowledges his marriage to the public. (1965)
34 years ago Arlo Guthrie's classic. "Alice's Restaurant" is released. (1967)
33 years ago The Beatles release their long-awaited double album simply called "The Beatles" but better known as "The White Album." Among the set's 29 songs is Ringo Starr's first songwriting contribution to the group's repertoire, "Don't Pass Me By," which as a single makes it to No. 1 in Scandinavia. (1968)
24 years ago Weddings will never be the same after Debby Boone has a Number One hit with "You Light Up My Life." The record goes platinum on this date and makes Pat Boone a proud papa. (1977)
20 years ago Rolling Stones Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood jam with blues giant Muddy Water (whose "Rollin' Stone" gave the Stones their name) and Buddy Guy at Chicago's Checker Board Lounge. (1981)
9 years ago Paul Simon opens his first tour of South America in Brazil. (1992)
6 years ago Singer Sophie B. Hawkins makes her acting debut on Fox's "Party Of Five". (1995)
4 years ago INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence is found dead in his hotel room in the Ritz Carlton in Double Bay, Australia, a suburb of Sydney. The cause of death was suicide by hanging. Hutchence was in Sydney preparing for INXS' 20th anniversary tour which was scheduled to begin in three days. Hutchence was 37. (1997)
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