With all due respect to our friends in Europe, you couldn't understand Thanksgiving because it is a celebration originally undertaken by the first settlers here in (what would become) the U.S.

Thankful that they had made it over safely and thankful for the bounty the land provided them as winter approached.

It is a unique holiday where the vast majority of us spend special time with family and friends. Different from Christmas, which is a celebratory holiday, Thanksgiving is more laid back, just a time to refect.

But since it was a holiday invented by those who left Europe for a different life, and continues to be a reflection of the unique things that we appreciate about living here, we understand much of the rest of the world may not share our same apperciation.

Because it is a "long weekend," many extended families will travel to a special destination (like the beach) and rent a condo or beach house and spend time together.