It was an opportunity to pause from their busy schedules and enjoy some time out with loved ones. And for some of Hollywood's biggest names, Thanksgiving was time to prepare a delicious turkey dinner in the traditional manner.Heidi Klum, Mariah Carey and Jessica Alba were just some of the stars making the most of the American holiday – and sharing some intimate snaps of their celebrations with their hundreds of thousands of followers on social network sites.
Marking her first Thanksgiving without her estranged husband Seal, German supermodel Heidi pulled out all the stops to make a scrumptious-looking turkey with all the trimmings. And it seemed as if she'd been working on her meal for ages, posting: "FINALLY!" with the picture.
It was a doubly special day for the blonde beauty, who was also celebrating son Johan's 6th birthday. She wrote: "Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Cooking & celebrating Johan's b/day since 7AM this morning..so great! Question is..what is not in my stuffing?"Fans got a good look at Jessica's kitchen, when the hands on mum-of-two's husband Cash Warren shared a snap of her preparing a feast for him and their two girls Honor and Haven. He said: "Wife and I are throwing it down today!!"Mariah and her husband Nick Cannon were also snapped in the kitchen. But it looked like music mogul Nick, who pulled a face at the camera, was taking charge. "Prepping the day before!" posted pop diva Mariah. Meanwhile Nick shared an adorable picture of his son Morrocan playing the piano, with the caption: "Tonight's entertainment."
Many stars were feeling grateful for their family members on the special holiday. P Diddy posed with his mother and their delicious-looking turkey. He wrote: "I thank God for my Mamma. Happy Thanksgiving to all the mothers out there!" It was a thought shared by Kylie Jenner – little sister of Kim Kardashian – who said she was "grateful for my mommy" alongside a snap of the teen model and her famous mum.There were a few first time mothers enjoying their first Thanksgiving with their new babies. Jessica Simpson made a cute greetings card with pictures of her six-month-old daughter Maxwell and daddy Eric Johnson. In a black and white snap the former American football player carries the cute tot in a baby sling, while in another he holds the little girl in one arm. Maxwell is sheilded from the cold in a red parka jacket and grey leggings with tiny Ugg boots.She shared the card on her official website and Twitter account, writing: "I am so grateful for my new lil family! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!"Other stars sharing candid family snaps included model Milla Jovovich – who posted a step-by-step guide to how she made her Thanksgiving feast - and pop stars Katy Perry, Pink and Taylor Swift.