Thanksgiving 2011 in pictures

Obama pardons a turkey, volunteers serve Thanksgiving dinner, holiday travelers face crowds and more scenes from the holiday.

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Nov. 24, 2011

Catholic University students, from left, Emily Weber, Maureen Brabec and Alex Mosko, all 21, share a Thanksgiving dinner at Curley Hall on Catholic's campus in Northeast Washington. The university held a turkey dinner with all the trimmings for about four dozen students and faculty members who didn't go away for the holidays.

Linda Davidson / The Washington Post

Nov. 24, 2011

J.J. Evans, age 3, keeps an eye on the dessert table during Thanksgiving dinner at Catholic Univeristy.

Linda Davidson / The Washington Post

Nov. 24, 2011

Catholic University students collectively laugh when asked, in a show of hands, how many students wanted leftovers to take home following the Thanksgiving dinner.

Linda Davidson / The Washington Post

Nov. 24, 2011

Abraham Lima carves a turkey while his son Nehemias Lima looks on in Rockville, Md.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Nehemias Lima

Abraham, Maria, Deborah, Bella, Nehemias and Abraham Lima, Jr. sit down to Thanksgiving dinner. Originally from El Salvador, they have embraced the holiday that brings family together.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Nov. 24, 2011

Abraham Lima relaxes in his Rockville family room with two of his five children, Nehemias, 32, and Deborah, 20, on Thanksgiving Day. Lima is originally from El Salvador.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Nov. 24, 2011

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), left, and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, meet active and retired service members after serving a Thanksgiving meal at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson.

Matt York / AP

Nov. 24, 2011

Golfers participate in the 29th annual Thanksgiving Day golf tournament in Concord, N.H. More than 100 players showed up at sunrise to play nine holes on the snow-covered course.

Jim Cole / AP

Nov. 24, 2011

Detroit Lions fans celebrate Thanksgiving with a deep-fried turkey before the Lions' game with the Green Bay Packers in Detroit.

Paul Sancya / AP

Nov. 24, 2011

Occupy D.C. protesters queue up for Thanksgiving meals at McPherson Square in the District. The day before, Occupy protesters had flocked to a historic D.C. church for a Thanksgiving buffet and some robust words of support. Organizing the feast was Occupy Faith D.C., an interfaith coalition set up a month ago to give food, equipment and spiritual support to Occupy protesters.

Jewel Samad / AFP/Getty Images

Nov. 24, 2011

People watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York's Times Square. It was the 85th Macy's parade, which debuted in 1924 as the Macy's Christmas Parade.

Andrew Burton / AP

Nov. 24, 2011

Spectators watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from behind police barricades in New York. A jetpack-wearing monkey and a freakish creation from filmmaker Tim Burton were two of the big new balloons that to make their inaugural appearances in front of millions of people at the parade.

John Minchillo / AP

Nov. 24, 2011

The Hawaii All-State Marching Band make its way through Times Square during the 85th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.

Brendan McDermid / Reuters

Nov. 24, 2011

A Kermit the Frog balloon floats down the west side of Central Park during the 85th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.

Gary Hershorn / Reuters

Nov. 24, 2011

Thanksgiving dinner is served as U.S. troops celebrate at Bagram air base in Afghanistan.

/ Reuters

Nov. 24, 2011

U.S. Army soldiers serve Thanksgiving meals to their colleagues at Forward Operating Base Shank in eastern Afghanistan's Logar province.

Umit Bektas / Reuters

Nov. 23, 2011

Union Station in Washington is crowded with travelers on Wednesday afternoon.

Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post

Nov. 23, 2011

Gate D in Union Station is crowded with travelers waiting for the 6:05 p.m. Northeast Regional train.

Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post

Nov. 23, 2011

Travelers wait for their trains. The day before Thanksgiving is Amtrak’s busiest day of the year.

Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post

Nov. 23, 2011

Union station is mobbed with holiday travelers.

Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post

Nov. 23, 2011

President Obama watches daughter Sasha reach out to touch Liberty, the Minnesota turkey he pardoned Wednesday. At left is National Turkey Federation Chairman Richard Huisinga. At right is the president's other daughter, Malia.

Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post

Nov. 23, 2011

Occupy protesters Owen Johnson, left, of Pownal, Vt.; Elliott Hartman Russell, center, of Northampton, Mass.; and Atom Jenkins of Arlington, Va., laugh while enjoying a Thanksgiving meal for the Occupy protesters at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

Nov. 23, 2011

Occupy protester Bo Han, left, of Atlanta has his plate filled with a holiday meal by volunteer Lynn Marshall.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

Nov. 23, 2011

Renee Montgomery serves up some cranberry sauce as hundreds of people gathered at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center to share in the 12th annual Safeway Feast of Sharing.

Nikki Kahn / The Washington Post

Nov. 23, 2011

Deloris Mixon and James Burrell bow their heads in prayer during the Feast of Sharing meal in Washington.

Nikki Kahn / The Washington Post

Nov. 19, 2011

Marines Matthew Jones, left, and Abraham Cepeda (holding his daughter Aubrey) load up on food at a pre-Thanksgiving pot-luck at Jones’s home in Quantico. The turkey was donated to the meal by the USO. The number of families served by the organization’s annual giveaway has risen from 250 in 2008 to an expected 1,400 this year.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Nov. 12, 2011

Sofia Lankford, 2, of Aldie, Va., inspects the items in her family's Thanksgiving bag as military families pick up holiday bags at the USO's warehouse in Fort Belvoir. The Capital Area Food Bank and the USO say they have seen need among military families locally like never before.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

The Season in Photos

Santa Claus, portrayed by Steve Stickley of Stephens City, Va. gets a kiss from a stray puppy during an open house at the Esther L. Boyd Animal Shelter in Winchester, Va. Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011. (AP Photo, The Winchester Star, Jeff Taylor)

Holiday celebrations around the world

People celebrate in colorful, playful and profound ways.

12/05/1999 - PH/MENORAH - CREDIT: Michael Lutzky/TWP - LOCATION: The Ellipse - CAPTION: The official lighting ceremony for the National Menorah on the Ellipse was not held until the third night of Chanukah. Here, the flames smoke after the lighting with the Washington Monument in the background.

Hanukkah starts with National Menorah lighting in Washington

This year’s lighting took place on the White House Ellipse on the first night of Hanukkah.

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 29: Aini-Alem Dennis, 10, left, Mikalah Davis, 14, center, and Leilani Gill, 11, right, perform with the Farafina Kan Youth Ensemble during A Kwanzaa Celebration in the Panorama Room of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church on Thursday December 29, 2011 in Washington, DC. The event featured information on the background of Kwanzaa along with drumming and dancing. (Photo by Matt McClain For The Washington Post)

Kwanzaa celebrations across the country

The holiday is observed from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1 yearly.

Holiday Wrapping Paper Contest: A wrap up

Find out who created your favorite wrap design and what the judges liked about the 12 finalists’ artwork. Plus, check out our “adorable...

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 14: Local Living second annual holiday crafts contest winner by Elizabeth Tung as seen on Wednesday December 14, 2011 at The Washington Post studio in Washington, DC. (Photo by Matt McClain for The Washington Post)

Holiday Crafts Contest: Meet the winners

Elizabeth Tung’s paper star made with gold metallic thread won the annual contest.

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 19: White Chocolate and Peppermint Chocolate Mountains photographed in Washington, DC. (Photo by Deb Lindsey/For The Washington Post)

Cookie Guide: 25 recipes for the best holiday treats

Our collection of holiday cookie recipes has something for everyone.

U.S. President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Sasha (L) and Malia pose with children, dressed as elves, at the 'Christmas in Washington' celebration at the National Building Museum in Washington December 11, 2011. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS ENTERTAINMENT TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson, Obamas shine at ‘Christmas in Washington’ concert

The president and first lady host the celebration at the National Building Museum.

US President Barack Obama smiles with daughters Sasha (L) and Malia (R) while watching First Lady Michelle Obama read to children during the annual lighting of the National Christmas tree on December 1, 2011 at The Ellipse in Washington, DC. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

National Christmas Tree lights up Washington

The tree lighting has been an annual tradition in Washington since 1923.

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