November 2022

We are 1 week away from Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is a U.S. holiday that celebrates and remembers the Pilgrims and the Native Americans.   First, a little history lesson… The Pilgrims were a group of about 100 people that left England because of religious persecution. The Pilgrims sailed to the New World (United States of America) in their boat called the Mayflower. They planned to go to Virginia, but they went off course and landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620. The Pilgrims were starving and did not know how to grow food in the new land. A group of Native American Indians called the Wampanoag Indians taught the Pilgrims how to grow food. In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims held (had) a three-day feast called Thanksgiving and invited the Native American Indians to give thanks for a successful harvest with plenty (lots) of food to survive the winter. The Pilgrims and the Native Americans did not share the same religious views, but they celebrated the harvest they had. Thanksgiving is an interfaith holiday; a holiday that people of all different faiths celebrate. Thanksgiving is about being thankful for what we have.   Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. It is a federal holiday; all banks, schools, and federal offices are closed. Most businesses are closed for Thanksgiving.   How do people celebrate Thanksgiving? (What do people do on Thanksgiving?)   The most common tradition is for family and friends gather for a big meal. Most often turkey is severed, with many different side dishes. Typical side dishes are, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes or yams, corn, carrots, broccoli, brussels sprouts, green beans, cornbread or rolls. For dessert, there is often pie. The most common pie is apple pie, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie. However, there can…

Veterans Day is a day to remember all of our servicemen and women. Veteran’s Day is celebrated on November 11th. It is a federal holiday; therefore, all banks and federal offices are closed. However, some schools remain open to teach students about history, and veterans. Schools sometimes invite veterans to honor them. There are parades on Veteran’s Day. Also, many restaurants thank veterans with free things on Veteran’s Day as long as they show their military ID.

When is Election Day? Election Day Election Day is the day that U.S. citizens vote their elected officials into office. Election Day is always the first Tuesday in November. Schools are often closed on Election Day. Many schools are closed on election day because schools are used as polling places (places people vote). Who can vote? Almost all U.S. citizens that are above the age of 18 can vote. Citizens must be a registered voter to vote on election day. It costs nothing to vote. Where do people go to vote? Where you go to vote depends on where you live. It is usually at your local school or church. Depending on the state, there are different options for people to vote before election day. Absentee Ballot? If a person is not going to be in the area or unable to vote on election day, they can request to complete an absentee ballot and vote ahead of time. In some places, the lines to vote can be very long. Therefore, many people vote early, going in person to vote during a specific time period before election day. How do you vote? On Election Day, you go to your local “polling place”, where you are supposed to vote. This usually goes by your address. Polling places are usually open 6am-8pm. People use a ballot to vote. A ballot is the piece of paper where you mark your vote. What is a term? Each elected official position has a specific term. A term is the number of years that the elected position allows someone to serve. After a term is up (finished), a new election is held. For example, the term for the U.S. presidency is 4 years. What is an incumbent? The incumbent (person who currently holds the elected official position)…