thanksgiving day fourth thursday in november almost every culture in the world has held celebrations of thanks for a plentiful harvest. the american thanksgiving holiday began as a feast of thanksgiving in the early days of the american colonies almost four hundred years ago.
in 1620, a boat filled with more than one hundred people sailed across the atlantic ocean to settle in the new world(新大陆). this religious group had begun to question the beliefs of the church of england and they wanted to separate from it. the pilgrims settled in what is now the state of massachusetts. their first winter in the new world was difficult.
they had arrived too late to grow many crops, and without fresh food, half the colony died from disease. the following spring the iroquois indians(美国纽约州东北部易洛魁族印第安人)taught them how to grow corn, a new food for the colonists. they showed them other crops to grow in the unfamiliar soil and how to hunt and fish.
in the autumn of 1621, bountiful crops of corn, barley(大麦), beans and pumpkins were harvested.
the colonists had much to be thankful for, so a feast was planned. they invited the local indian chief and 90 indians. the indians brought deer to roast with the turkeys and other wild game offered by the colonists.
the colonists had learned how to cook cranberries and different kinds of corn and squash dishes from the indians. to this first thanksgiving, the indians had even brought popcorn.
in following years, many of the original colonists celebrated the autumn harvest with a feast of thanks.
after the united states became an independent country, congress recommended one yearly day of thanksgiving for the whole nation to celebrate. george washington suggested the date november 26 as thanksgiving day. then in 1863, at the end of a long and bloody civil war, abraham lincoln asked all americans to set aside the last thursday in november as a day of thanksgiving.
thanksgiving falls on the fourth thursday of november, a different date every year. the president must proclaim that date as the official celebration.
thanksgiving is a time for tradition and sharing. even if they live far away, family members gather for a reunion at the house of an older relative. all give thanks together for the good things that they have.
in this spirit of sharing, civic groups and charitable organizations offer a traditional meal to those in need, particularly the homeless.
on most tables throughout the united states, foods eaten at the first thanksgiving have become traditional.
symbols of thanksgiving
turkey, corn, pumpkins and cranberry sauce(酸果曼沙司)are symbols which represent the first thanksgiving. now all of these symbols are drawn on holiday decorations and greeting cards.
the use of corn meant the survival of the colonies. "indian corn" as a table or door decoration represents the harvest and the fall season.
sweet-sour cranberry sauce, or cranberry jelly, was on the first thanksgiving table and is still served today. the cranberry is a small, sour berry.
it grows in bogs(沼泽), or muddy areas, in massachusetts and other new england states. the indians used the fruit to treat infections. they used the juice to dye their rugs and blankets.
they taught the colonists how to cook the berries with sweetener(甜味佐料)and water to make a sauce. the indians called it "ibimi" which means "bitter berry."
when the colonists saw it, they named it "crane-berry" because the flowers of the berry bent the stalk over, and it resembled the long-necked bird called a crane. the berries are still grown in new england.
in 1988, a thanksgiving ceremony of a different kind took place at the cathedral of st. john the divine. more than four thousand people gathered on thanksgiving night.
among them were native americans representing tribes from all over the country and descendants of people whose ancestors had migrated to the new world.
the ceremony was a public acknowledgment of the indians' role in the first thanksgiving 350 years ago. until recently most schoolchildren believed that the pilgrims cooked the entire thanksgiving feast, and offered it to the indians.
in fact, the feast was planned to thank the indians for teaching them how to cook those foods. without the indians, the first settlers would not have survived.
【A time of family reunion 美国人怎么过感恩节?】
This Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. The writer O. Henry called it the one day that is purely American. Thanksgiving is not a religious holiday. But it has spiritual meaning. Some Americans attend religious services on the day before Thanksgiving, or on Thanksgiving morning. Others travel long distances to be with their families. They have a large dinner, which is the main part of the celebration.
For many Americans, Thanksgiving is the only time when all members of a family gather. The holiday is a time of family reunion.
对许多美国人来说,感恩节这一天是所有家庭成员欢聚一堂的难得时光。这个节日是家人团聚的时刻。
Thanksgiving week is generally one of the busiest travel times of the year. Many Americans who usually visit family and friends by plane are driving shorter distances instead this week. Some mental-health experts say the attacks have frightened people. They say people feel safer and happier close to home.
More than any other holiday, Thanksgiving is a celebration of family and home. Many people say that this year they are especially thankful for their families and friends and the good things in their lives. On Thanksgiving, people enjoy a long day of cooking, eating and talking. The traditional meal almost always includes a turkey with a bread mixture cooked inside.
Other traditional Thanksgiving foods served with turkey are sweet potatoes, cranberries and pumpkin pie. Stores are said to sell more food at Thanksgiving than at any other time of the year. And many people eat more food at Thanksgiving than at any other time of the year.
Over the years, Americans have added new traditions to their Thanksgiving celebration. For example, a number of professional and university football games are played on Thanksgiving Day. Some of the games are broadcast on national television.
Thanksgiving Day is a very special day for peoplein the United States. They celebrate it on the lastThursday in November. Canadians also celebrateThanksgiving Day, but they do it on the secondMonday of October. In Britain, where this festival iscalled Harvest Festival, people celebrate it earlier inthe year, in September.A harvest is the fruit you take from the trees andthe crops you take from the ground. In NorthAmerica and Britain, harvest time for most fruit andcrops is in the autumn. In these countries and other Christian places, people give thanks toGod on a special day of the year. They thank God for the good things that have happenedduring the year and for the good harvest they have had. People usually take small boxes offruit, flowers, and vegetables to their churches to show their thanks.The first thanksgiving service (仪式) in North America took place on December 4th, 1619when 38 English people, arrived in America to make their home in the new country. They heldthis service not to thank God for the harvest, but to thank God for their safe journeys. Thenext year, many more English people arrived. They had a bad winter, but fortunately theharvest was good. they decided to celebrate it with a big meal. They shot and killed smallanimals to eat and cooked everything outside on large fires. About 90 Indians also came to themeal. Everyone ate at tables outside their houses and played games together. The festivallasted three days.A Thanksgiving Day celebration was held every year for a long time, but not always on thesame day of the year. Then, in 1789, President George Washington named November 26th asthe Day of Thanksgiving. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln changed the date, and said thatthe last Thursday in November should be Thanksgiving Day.Nowadays, North Americans around the world get together with their families on this day toeat good food and have a happy time.1. Is Thanksgiving Day celebrated on the same day in North American countries?2. When did the first thanksgiving service take place in North America?3. Who made the last Thursday in November Thanksgiving Day in the USA?4. What does the word “fortunately” mean in Chinese?5. Translate the sentence "They thank God for the good things that have happened duringthe year and for the good harvest they have had." into Chinese.
BNot much really. It's more of an American tradition, so back home we don't really celebrate it. In fact, I am not even sure of what exactly is being celebrated!
没有很多的事,这个是美国的传统,回到家我们并不过这个节。我甚至不确定究竟要庆祝哪些东西。
AWell you know, it's a time to get together with all your family and be thankful for everything!
嗯,你知道的,这是一个大家聚到一起的时候,对很多事进行感恩。
BYeah but, how did this holiday come to be?
是的,但是,这个节日是什么样子的呢?
AWell, the first settlers of Massachusetts arrived there because of religious persecution from England and King James. Once in the New World, they befriended an native named Squanto, who taught them how to harvest food from the area such as corn.
AWell, they had enough havests for the next winter and celebration。They decided to have a big feast for the natives, giving thanks the land, and everyone for the foods, healthy and new lives.
BInteresting! I am amazed how big and delicious thanksgiving dinners are!
很有趣!我很好奇盛大有美味的感恩节晚餐会是什么样的。
ACome to my house for Thanksgiving! We are having turkey, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes with gravy, and lots of stuffing!
来我家过感恩节吧!晚餐有火鸡,南瓜派,捣碎的土豆和面粉,还有各种馅。
BCount me in!
算上我吧!
杰克: Have a nice Thanksgiving!
感恩节快乐!
凯特: Same to you!
你也是!
杰克: Are you going anywhere?
你打算去哪过节吗?
凯特: I thought about going to my sister's. How about you?
我考虑去我妹妹那.你呢?
杰克: Oh, I'll probably just stay at home.
哦.我可能就呆在家里了.
Li Lei has no idea of Thanksgiving and Steven is telling him something about it.
李雷对感恩节不是很了解,史蒂文正在给他讲解。
Li Lei: When do you celebrate Thanksgiving?
李雷:你们什么时候庆祝感恩节?
Steven: On the fourth Thursday of November.
史蒂文:11月的第4个星期四。
Li Lei: What do you eat on that day?
李雷:你们那天吃什么?
Steven: People cook turkeys for Thanksgiving dinner.
史蒂文:人们在感恩节晚餐时做火鸡吃。
Li Lei: Anything else?
李雷:还有其他的食物吗?
Steven: Besides the turkeys, we'll also have other delicious food. Such as pumpkin pies,puddings, mashed potatoes, bread, a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.