Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is an annual one-day
holiday to give thanks at the close of the Harvest Season. It originates from when pilgrims arrived at
Plymouth Rock (today in the state of Massachusetts) in 1620. Their first Winter there was terrible and by
the time the next Fall arrived, they had lost 46 of the original 102 people who'd arrived onboard the Mayflower (the
ship they sailed in). Their next year improved and their harvest in 1621 was a great success - so
much so the colonists decided to celebrate with a feast. The feast is now celebrated by Americans across the country
every year!
Today, thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday
of November, which in 2006 is on the 23rd of November. Every year airports and roads are very busy as more than 40 million
Americans travel from state to state to visit family, celebrate and give thanks for the blessings of the past year.
The first American thanksgiving took place in Virginia on December 4th, 1619.
Today it's a major holiday and is celebrated in many ways - the most popular is the Thanksgiving feast. In the northeastern
United States the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest nights of the year socially, as it's the first
night back to their home-towns for many college students returning from their semster. The American winter holiday season
(otherwise known as the christmas shopping season) also officially begins when thanksgiving ends.
Here are some ways you can celebrate thanksgiving with your friends and host
family:
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Family Gatherings: Thanksgiving
is a great time for a family gathering. Some families travel only a few miles. Others travel for hours.
The long weekend and lots of food and fesitivities make this a classic time for families to reunite.
-
Parades: If you're
lucky enough to be in a large city that hosts a parade, perhaps one of the host family's traditions is to gather family
and friends to the center to watch it. Most towns either have a Thanksgiving or Christmas Parade.
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a great US tradition. Most
familes gater around the TV to watch this, live from New York. You can all enjoy breakfast together while watching the
Big Apple event, which usually begin in 9am.
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American Football: American Football is often a major part of Thanksgiving celebrations in the US. Professional games are
traditionally played on Thanksgiving Day. The Kansas City Chiefs hosted games during their days in the American
Football League and will revive that tradition this year when they host the Denver Broncos. Many college and high school
football games are also played over Thanksgiving weekend an dinner waits until the morning games are finished or dessert is
enjoyed in front of the TV while routing for your favorite team.
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Giving Thanks: Giving
thanks, for many families, is an important part of the Thanksgiving tradition. Families do this in different ways.
Some appoint the oldest member at the table to deliver a few words. Others ask everyone around the table to speak
about one or two things that they are thankful for.
and last, but by
no means least...
-
The Thanksgiving Feast: Turkey,
stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn and cranberry sauce are all typical Thanksgiving foods. Maybe there's a favorite ethnic
food that your family have each year. There's usually also one person who receives the honor of carving the turkey.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
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