Thanksgiving Day - what is it all about anyway?

TODAY is Thanksgiving Day in the US, which means it's a day when celebrities far and wide decide to go underground. But what is this day actually all about?

The How I Met Your Mother crew enjoying a Thanksgiving feast. Picture: Supplied

TODAY is Thanksgiving Day in the US, which means it's a day when celebrities far and wide decide to go underground.

But what does this day actually mean to everyone? Here's a quick explainer to bring you up to speed.

- Thanksgiving Day is an annual national holiday celebrated primarily in the US and Canada.

- The first Thanksgiving feast was celebrated by pilgrims and Indians back in 1621.

- It is traditionally a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and is also a celebration in acknowledgment of kindness.

- Families like to reflect on the year and give thanks for their blessings.

- It is one of the true homegrown non-religious holidays in America that is celebrated by pretty much everyone.

The How I Met Your Mother crew enjoying a Thanksgiving feast. Picture: Supplied

- Everyone gathers with family and friends to enjoy an enormous feast, which almost always includes a roast turkey with all the trimmings and pumpkin pie.

- Even hardcore professionals use this holiday as an excuse to take a long weekend away, which begins anytime from midday on Wednesday.

- Many Americans associate Thanksgiving with the three F's - Family, Food and Football. Some of the biggest games of the year are played on Thanksgiving Day.

- It's no biggy for people to travel thousands of kilometres to be with loved ones and it is the largest travel day of the year in the States - even bigger than Christmas Day.

- The best part? It's a holiday for individuals to be celebrated any way they like. There are no rules, no religion and no presents.

Perhaps Phoebe was giving Joey a refresher on just what Thanksgiving means. Picture: Supplied

So the only question is, why don't we have a holiday like this in Australia? Sounds like we're missing out.