Thanksgiving: How to celebrate the holiday and the different types of food that are eaten

The annual American holiday of Thanksgiving is nearly here, meaning Black Friday sales are not far off either. It is a holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, with the day after known as Black Friday - one of the best days of the year to pick up a bargain in the lead-up to Christmas.

But the holiday - which has roots dating back to 1621 - isn't only celebrated in the US and is traditionally a day where colonists gave thanks for their harvest and blessings from the previous years. You can read more about the holiday's roots and other countries that celebrate it at nationalworld.com.

But one of the most important aspects of Thanksgiving is the food that is eaten during a traditional dinner. It is well known that a turkey takes pride of place at the dinner table on this day, but how is it cooked and what is eaten alongside? NationalWorld takes a look.

Turkey

While some opt for a roast Turkey, many Americans do things slightly different to us Brits and instead deep-fry their Turkey. This gives the meat a much darker colour and takes around three to four minutes per pound to completely fry.

The deep-friers used here can be extremely volatile, and while authorities urge caution, many clips of deep-fried turkeys gone wrong make their way onto social media every year.

Cranberry sauce is typically served alongside this meat dish - and this is always better when it's homemade.

Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a staple of Thanksgiving dinner too. But they may not be the only kind of potato you see at the table.

Others include scalloped potatoes - a creamy potato dish that includes garlic, parmesan and onion. There's also sweet potato casserole and yams - an American favourite.

Stuffing and sides

The Americans do stuffing very differently to us too. While our festive dinner's stuffing is usually in the form of onion and sage mixed into balls or in a baking tray, over in the US stuffing tends to be made with chunks of bread and baked into a roasting dish.

Other sides on the menu include green bean casserole and macaroni and cheese.

Dessert

The Thanksgiving dessert of choice is undoubtedly pie. Pumpkin, apple, and pecan are the usual favourites and are sure to make an appearance at the table.

Other ways to celebrate in true American style

Thanksgiving isn't just about the food. You can get into the spirit by following the US President's turkey pardon. This is a tradition where the President pardons one or two lucky turkeys each year and spares them from slaughter.

You can also get into the spirit by watching the day's American football games - an essential part of the experience. This year the Detroit Lions take on the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys line up against the Washington Commanders.