Spectators cheered and sang at annual Thanksgiving Day parades from New York to Philadelphia to Detroit and friends enjoyed feasts with strangers at Occupy protest gatherings, reminding each other there is much to be grateful for despite the country's hard economic times.

Delighted crowds gathered Thursday for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on the streets of Manhattan under brilliant sunshine. Millions more viewed the live broadcast of the annual holiday production on television from the comfort of their homes.

"Here comes Snoopy!" said an excited Regan Lynch, 5, nudging her grandfather, Nick Pagnozzi.

Pagnozzi, 59, of Saddle River, N.J., drove into the city at 6 a.m. to get a seat on the bleachers along Central Park West. He said Regan wanted to make sure he took pictures of every balloon.

With winds gusting to 22 miles per hour and temperatures in the mid-30s, parade-goers in Detroit bundled up. Before the celebration, 21,000 runners followed the course for the Turkey Trot races. A cluster of Ford Model T cars in the parade testified to the city's status as America's battered but rebounding auto capital.

"I know that for many of you, this Thanksgiving is more difficult than most," President Barack Obama said in his weekly radio address. "But no matter how tough things are right now, we still give thanks for that most American of blessings, the chance to determine our own destiny."

The president later telephoned 10 U.S. service members stationed abroad to wish them a happy Thanksgiving and praise their military service.

Dishing up Thanksgiving meals, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords appeared at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in her hometown of Tucson, Ariz. She used only her left hand as she served, a sign that physical damage remains from the injuries she suffered when she was shot in the head Jan. 8 as she met with constituents. Eighteen others were injured and six people died in the assault.

Giffords donned a ball cap and an apron with her nickname of "Gabby" sewn on the front. Her retired astronaut husband, Mark Kelly, supported her from her left side as she worked the turkey station on the serving line.

Despite Struggling Economy, America Prepares To Spend Big

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Black Friday: It's one of the biggest shopping days of the year -- famous for long lines, huge deals and shopper stampedes. And this year, even in a down economy, shoppers are expected to show up in droves.

The National Retail Federation estimates that the number of shoppers hitting stores the day after Thanksgiving will be up 10 percent from last year. And retailers are getting more competitive to get them to their stores. Electronic store officials say they're going to be "playing offense" to get consumers to spend on TVs. Some retailers are offering bottom barrel prices on hot video games to lure shoppers.

Others are maximizing the number of hours they'll have shoppers wandering their aisles. Target, Macy's and Best Buy are all opening their stores at midnight, while Toys R Us and Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, will be inviting deal-seekers inside late on Thanksgiving Day.

Some say the store openings may be getting too early, including employees at Target and Best Buy, who have launched online petitions asking the stores not to open at midnight on Black Friday so workers can stay home with their families on Thanksgiving. Even many Black Friday traditionalists say they're staying away because the openings are cutting too much into their own Thanksgivings, according to The New York Times.

The early openings and huge discounts may not be enough to get those consumers concerned about the economy into stores. More than 60 percent of Americans say they expect the economy to influence their holiday shopping this year, a survey from the NRF found. Consumers barely boosted spending in October, according to the Commerce Department, indicating holiday shopping may be slow.
Regardless the atmosphere at malls and big box stores across the country is sure to be hectic on Black Friday, so check out our liveblog to get a round up of the latest Black Friday deals, news and stampedes.