Giving thanks

(Nov. 21, 2012) Tomorrow, Thursday, Nov. 22, is Thanksgiving Day, a national holiday for giving thanks. President Abraham Lincoln established the official observance in 1863. The annual event falls on the fourth Thursday of November.

Thanksgiving is traditionally a day for families and friends to get together for a special meal which often includes a turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, pumpkin pie and vegetables. It is a time for people to give thanks for what they have. This year we in this part of New Jersey are especially thankful for a minimum loss of life due to last month's hurricane. We are grateful also for our homes, most of which escaped the fury of Superstorm Sandy despite widespread destruction of the landscape and resulting long power and telephone outages. Thanks too for the tree and electric company workers who came from all over this country to help restore our power.

Thanksgiving Day parades are held in some cities and towns on or around Thanksgiving Day. Some parades or festivities also mark the opening of the Christmas shopping season. Some people have a four-day weekend so it is a popular time for trips and to visit family and friends, making it one of the busiest travel periods in the United States.

Most government offices, businesses, schools and other organizations are closed on Thanksgiving Day. Many offices and businesses allow staff to have a four-day weekend so these offices and businesses are closed also on the Friday after Thanksgiving Day. Public transit systems do not usually operate on their regular timetables.

Check your Recorder Community Newspaper for details on holiday observances and festivities. Fifteen newspapers can be found right here online at newjerseyhills.com along with their 60+ blogs with personal and community organization messages. Anyone interested in joining this group may call me at (908) 832-7420 or e-mail panderson@recordernewspapers.com for information on this free communication tool.