That most American of holidays, Thanksgiving dates back to the Pilgrim FathersThe settlers of Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620, the first permanent colony in New England..

Nowadays, 91% of people in the United States mark Thanksgiving - more than those marking Christmas. Historically, many countries celebrated the end of the harvest with an autumn festival, and Thanksgiving connects people back to the seasons.

It is celebrated by 74% of recent immigrants to America, and unlike Christmas, the festival is open to people of all faiths.

The holiday has something for everyone. For some, it is a chance to watch American football, or the Macy's paradeThe Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a New York City tradition that celebrates the opening of Macy's flagship department store and generates excitement for Christmas shopping. in New York. Others look forward to the Black FridayThe day after US Thanksgiving, when lots of shops offer discounts on goods for Christmas shopping. sales.

Native Americans say that Thanksgiving is "propagandaInformation, which may be biased or misleading, used to promote a certain viewpoint. ", which ignores the taking of land in America by European invaders.

But Thanksgiving encourages people to support others in times of trouble. Surely everyone could benefit from embracing that message of hope?

Should it be a global festival?

Yes! Thanksgiving can be celebrated by people from different countries and religions, among family or friends, with food, or sports, or shopping.

No! Thanksgiving misrepresents the European colonisationWhen one country or region is controlled by another. of the United States as a story of friendship and mutual support.