Today is Thanksgiving!

Traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Photo by Ben Franske.

Traditionally, that means families gather together to eat a gigantic home-cooked dinner consisting of: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Everyone eats until they can't eat anymore. Then they play and watch American football. Is there a more American holiday? ;-)

That is what every single American family will be doing tonight. Well, in the movies at least!

Like all things American (and holidays in particular), they are very individual. Celebrations vary from family to family and year to year.

Veterans Day 2010 poster.

November 11th [eleventh] is a national holiday in both America and Poland, although most people in both countries are unaware of the other's holiday! In Poland, today is Narodowe Święto Niepodległości (National Independence Day). It celebrates Poland becoming an independent state in 1918, after 123 years of not existing. In the United States, today is Veterans Day, a day to celebrate veterans of all wars. Both holidays have their origins in World War I.

Watch the video about the history of Veterans Day and read the transcript below!

Read more for the transcript.

Cover of Billy Joel's album "We Didn't Start The Fire"

In 1989, the American musician Billy Joel turned forty. Reflecting on his life, he wrote the song "We Didn't Start the Fire," which makes reference to 119 cultural and historical events that occurred during his lifetime. Some of the things are of world importance, others pertain only to American pop culture.

Listen to the song and learn about all the events below!

Adults at a Halloween costume party.

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. Kids get to dress up as superheroes, ghosts or monsters, go door-to-door with their friends saying "Trick or Treat" and get lots of candy. What kid wouldn't love that? Frequently, when we were children, I dressed up as a knight with a shield and sword and my sister dressed up as a princess.

But Halloween isn't only for children!