The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys have long hosted games on Thanksgiving Day. Here is why those NFL teams are a vital part of the holiday.

As the first team to start an annual tradition of playing on Thanksgiving, the Detroit Lions have naturally played more games on Thanksgiving than any other team and lead the way in both wins and losses on the holiday.

According to Princeton University, Princeton and Yale played each other in football in 1876, and the game would become a tradition until 1893. When professional football sprouted up in the early 20th century, Thanksgiving games did as well.