Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the US and Canada on the fourth Thursday of November. It originated as a harvest festival and religious tradition where people give thanks to God. A traditional Thanksgiving meal includes turkey, potatoes, cranberries, pumpkin pie and other fall vegetables, though vegetarians may opt for tofu alternatives like tofurky instead of turkey. The first Thanksgiving commemorated the Pilgrims giving thanks to God and the Native Americans who helped them survive their first brutal winter in America.