The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade ushered in a festive mood to a city still coping with the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, while in the outer boroughs and New Jersey, volunteers served up hot holiday meals to storm victims. In Afghanistan, huge hunks of beef, dressing, corn, collard greens, yams and mashed potatoes with gravy awaited about 2,500 soldiers in the dining hall. Nearby, service members played football. Meanwhile, stores that typically open early Friday were getting a head start on Thanksgiving evening, hoping Americans would be willing to shop soon after they polish off their pumpkin pie. Here's a photo gallery of Thanksgiving celebrations:
AP PHOTOS: A look at Thanksgiving near and far
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The Kermit The Frog balloon makes its way down New York's Central Park West in celebration of the 86th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade,Thursday, Nov 22, 2012. (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)
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The Kung Fu Panda balloon, right, participates in the 86th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade,Thursday, Nov 22, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)
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Dancers fill the street as the 86th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade moves down New York's Central Park West Thursday, Nov 22, 2012. (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)
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Spectators line the sidewalk as balloons and bands make their way down New York's Central Park West in the 86th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade,Thursday, Nov 22, 2012. (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)
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U.S. soldiers pray before eating a Thanksgiving meal at a dining hall at the U.S.-led coalition base in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. The dining hall at the U.S.-led coalition base in the Afghan capital served up mac-and-cheese along with traditional Thanksgiving Day fixings. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
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U.S. soldiers and NATO service members stand in line for a Thanksgiving meal at the U.S.-led coalition base in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. The dining hall at the U.S.-led coalition base in the Afghan capital served up mac-and-cheese along with traditional Thanksgiving Day fixings. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
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A dining facility worker, left, serves meat to soldiers and civilians for their Thanksgiving meal at the U.S.-led coalition base in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. The dining hall at the U.S.-led coalition base in the Afghan capital served up mac-and-cheese along with traditional Thanksgiving Day fixings. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
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U.S. Army Master Sgt. Wade Manol explains the rules of football to players during a six-team competition to mark Thanksgiving at the U.S.-led coalition base in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
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U.S. soldiers put their hands together before a football game to mark Thanksgiving at the U.S.-led coalition base in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
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U.S. soldier play football to mark Thanksgiving at the U.S.-led coalition base in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
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U.S. soldiers, part of NATO forces, play ultimate football to mark the Thanksgiving at the U.S.-led coalition base in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012.(AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
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President Barack Obama, with daughters Sasha, center, and Malia, right, carries on the Thanksgiving tradition of saving a turkey from the dinner table with a "presidential pardon" at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012. After the ceremony, "Cobbler" will head to George Washington's historic home in Virginia to be part of the "Christmas at Mount Vernon" exhibition. National Turkey Federation Chairman Steve Willardsen watches at left. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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The Frosty the Snowman balloon make its way down 16th Street in view of City Hall during the 93rd annual Thanksgiving day parade, Thursday Nov. 22, 2012, in Philadelphia .New York, Chicago, and Detroit are also among the cities hosting holiday parades. (AP Photo/Joseph Kaczmarek)
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The Kung Fu Panda balloon floats in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. The American harvest holiday came as portions of the Northeast were still coping with the wake of Superstorm Sandy, and volunteers planned to serve thousands of turkey dinners to people it left homeless or struggling. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes)
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Santa and Mrs. Claus wave to the crowd at Herald Square during the 86th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade,Thursday, Nov 22, 2012, in New York (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)
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The Sailor Mickey balloon floats in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. The American harvest holiday came as portions of the Northeast were still coping with the wake of Superstorm Sandy, and volunteers planned to serve thousands of turkey dinners to people it left homeless or struggling. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes)
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Jennette McCurdy rides a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. The American harvest holiday came as portions of the Northeast were still coping with the wake of Superstorm Sandy, and volunteers planned to serve thousands of turkey dinners to people it left homeless or struggling. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes)
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Red Cross worker Don Dybeck, of Washington State, hands up one of two prepared Thanksgiving dinners for linemen Bob Hauptvogel and Rich Grinzo, right, as they work Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. in Seaside Heights, N.J., to repair damage along the Jersey Shore from Superstorm Sandy. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
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Gary Holmes, left, Dave Fort, right, and Marcelo Saardera, consume turkey dinners provided by the Red Cross on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012, in Seaside Heights, N.J., as they take a break while working to repair a neighbor's home. Holmes and Fort rode out Superstorm Sandy at their Seaside Heights home and have been helping neighbors repair damage since. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
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Walmart associate Angel Campos stocks Christmas decorations ahead of the Pre-Black Friday event at the Walmart Supercenter store in Rosemead, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
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Volunteer Madison Errett, 9, hands out a Thanksgiving meal to a man who wished to remain unidentified at the GLIDE foundation in San Francisco, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. GLIDE staff estimated that about 500 volunteers helped prepare and serve around 5,000 meals. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
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Walmart associate Danae Salcedo, left, assists consumers shopping for tablets at the Pre-Black Friday event at the Walmart Supercenter store in Rosemead, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
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Linemen Bob Hauptvogel, right, and Rich Grinzo, right, work Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. in Seaside Heights, N.J., to repair damage along the Jersey Shore from Superstorm Sandy. The American harvest holiday came as portions of the Northeast still were reeling from Sandy's havoc, and volunteers planned to serve thousands of turkey dinners to people it left homeless or struggling. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
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IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR KMART - Customers shop for televisions in the Kmart electronics department as they look for doorbuster deals at the Addison Street store in Chicago on Thanksgiving Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. Kmart was the first major retailer nationwide to kick off pre-Black Friday shopping on Thanksgiving morning at 6 a.m. (John Konstantaras/AP Images for Kmart)
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The Elf on the Shelf balloon floats in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade put a festive mood in the air in a city still coping with the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy (AP Photo/Charles Sykes)
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Shoppers wait in line for the 8 p.m. opening of the Times Square Toys-R-Us store, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012, in New York. While stores typically open in the wee hours of the morning on the day after Thanksgiving known as Black Friday, openings have crept earlier and earlier over the past few years. Now, stores from Wal-Mart to Toys R Us are opening their doors on Thanksgiving evening, hoping Americans will be willing to shop soon after they finish their pumpkin pie. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
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Rockaway, Queens residents wait in line for a free Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012 in New York in an area still recovering from Superstorm Sandy. The American harvest holiday came as portions of the Northeast still were reeling from Sandy's havoc, and volunteers planned to serve thousands of turkey dinners to people it left homeless or struggling. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
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Santa Claus makes his way through Herald Square in the 86th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade,Thursday, Nov 22, 2012, in New York. The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade kicked off in New York on Thursday, putting a festive mood in the air in a city still coping with the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)
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Handlers lower the T-Rex balloon down to the spectators during the 93rd annual Thanksgiving day parade, Thursday Nov. 22, 2012, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/ Joseph Kaczmarek)
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The Sailor Mickey balloon floats in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. . The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade put a festive mood in the air in a city still coping with the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy (AP Photo/Charles Sykes)
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