Learn about Thanksgiving Day in the US
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| Hi everyone, I'm Alisha. |
| Thanksgiving is one of the most celebrated holidays in the United States. It also marks the beginning of the Holiday Season; the weeks leading up to Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza and the winter solstice, which are all widely-celebrated holidays in the US. For retailers, Thanksgiving begins their busiest season! Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. |
| Thanksgiving was founded as a national holiday by one of the most famous presidents of the United States. Do you know who it might've been? |
| We’ll show you the answer at the end of this video. |
| Thanksgiving, to a large extent, is about having a feast with friends and family. Turkey is the traditional main course, with yams, squash, pumpkin pie, cranberries, and other rich and filling foods rounding out the meal. Some families spend weeks preparing for their Thanksgiving feast and to stuff oneself is most certainly encouraged! |
| The Thanksgiving meal of today is rooted in the meal that the pilgrims from Europe shared with the Native Americans on the first Thanksgiving. This was quite a feast! Turkey, duck, goose, squash, corn, and a plethora of other foods were shared between the Europeans and the Native Americans. This original fete was said to go on for three full days! |
| Football is another tradition during Thanksgiving celebrations in the United States. Watching the football game while preparing the Thanksgiving meal is an important part of the celebration for many families. Families that aren't sports fans, however, may opt to spend time outside enjoying the crisp autumn air or may find other diversions to enjoy while the turkey cooks. |
| Thanksgiving is not a uniquely American holiday. There are similar celebrations in Canada, for instance. The concept behind the holiday—showing thankfulness by having a feast—spans many cultures. |
| And now here's the answer to the quiz. |
| Do you know who founded Thanksgiving as a national holiday? |
| Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving during the dark days of the American Civil War. Even though the holiday was officially born during this conflict, it's more associated with the initially good relations between the first European immigrants and the Native Americans. |
| How was this lesson? Did you learn something interesting? |
| Is there a day in your country where you give thanks? |
| Please leave a comment at EnglishClass101.com |
| Until next time! |
5 Comments
HideIs there a day in your country where you give thanks?
Hello Dina,
Thanks for taking the time to post and share. 👍
Please feel free to ask us any questions you have throughout your studies.
Sincerely,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Dear Alicia,
We don't have Thanksgiving holiday in Egypt, but we have Ramadan month as moselm and we often make feast to our families.
Hello Daphne,
Thank you very much for taking the time to share a bit about Taiwan.
We love hearing from our students so please continue to comment!👍
Enjoy your studies!
Regards,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
We don't have a similar national holiday in Taiwan.
But we have many district festivals and aboriginal tribal festivals that give thanks to different gods and spirits for abundance.