THANKSGIVING

origins and traditions of the holiday

What is Thanksgiving?
• Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States
celebrated in November.
• The annual feast is in honor of the first Thanksgiving in
America, in 1621, when colonists in Plymouth, Massachusetts,
later known as the Pilgrims, shared a meal with the
Wampanoag Indians, who were native to the land.
• The later feast was in honor of the help the Pilgrims received
from the Native Americans in cultivating crops and surviving
their first harsh winter and it lasted three days.
What is Thanksgiving?
• It was not until 1863, during
the Civil War, that President
Abraham Lincoln declared a
national Thanksgiving Day
would be held each
November to be celebrated
by all of the country.
Why do Americans celebrate it and what
do they do?
• Thanksgiving takes place each year on the fourth
Thursday of November.
• Most Americans consider the holiday a day to gather and
express their thanks through food, family, and football –
with multiple NFL teams playing on the holiday.
• During some Thanksgiving celebrations, people write
down what they are thankful for and then read aloud
from the pieces of paper.
Why do Americans celebrate it and what
do they do?
• The day is also
celebrated with
the annual
Macy’s
Thanksgiving Day
Parade in New
York City.
What do people eat on Thanksgiving?
In America, turkeys are an integral part of Thanksgiving Day,
with most dinners including the bird. Other must-have food
items are:
Mashed potatoes;
Cranberry sauce;
Gravy;
Cornbread;
Pumpkin and apple pies.
Thanksgiving dinner
Thanksgiving is my personal favorite American holiday. Every
year I make sure to celebrate it by watching the live stream of
the Macy’s parade and cooking mashed potatoes and
cranberry sauce.
The best part about the holiday is sharing a meal with your
whole family and being thankful for it.
Probably the funniest video about Thanksgiving that I’ve ever seen