Thanksgiving originated from the early immigrants of Plymouth, Massachusetts. These immigrants were called Puritans when they were in the UK. Because they were dissatisfied with the incomplete religious reform of the Church of England and the political suppression and religious persecution of them by the King of England and the Church of England, these Puritans broke away from the Church of England and went to the Netherlands. Later, he decided to move to the uninhabited land on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, hoping to live religiously and freely according to his own wishes. In September 1621, the ship "Mayflower" carried 102 Puritans and their families to leave England and sail to the North American continent. After more than two months of arduous sailing, they landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and settled there. In the first winter, due to lack of food, cold weather, rampant infectious diseases and overwork, more than half of these Puritans died at once. In the spring of the next year, the local Indian tribe chief Massassod led the kind-hearted Indians and gave the Puritans grain seeds and taught them hunting, planting crops, fishing, etc. With the help of the Indians, the Pilgrims achieved a bumper harvest that year. The first governor, William Bradford, proposed setting up a festival to celebrate the harvest and thank God for his gifts. At the same time, we also want to use this festival to strengthen the harmonious relationship between white people and Indians. On Thursday in late November 1621, the Pilgrims and 90 Indians brought by Massassoad gathered together to celebrate the first Thanksgiving in American history. The male Puritans went out hunting and catching turkeys, while the women made delicacies at home using corn, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and fruits. In this way, white people and Indians gathered around the bonfire, chatted while eating, and sang and danced. The entire celebration lasted for three days. In the beginning, there was no fixed date for Thanksgiving, which was decided temporarily by each state. It was not until 1863, after American independence, that President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday. [1] This custom has been passed down. When the thirteen states of North America were unified, the first president, George Washington, made Thanksgiving a national holiday, but each state decided on its own celebration time. It was not until 1863 that President Lincoln established the fourth Thursday in November as the fixed celebration day of Thanksgiving. Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October. Unlike the American tradition of remembering the Puritan ancestors who settled in the New World, Canadians mainly thank God for their successful harvest. Thanksgiving in Canada is earlier than Thanksgiving in the United States. The simple fact is that Canada's harvest season is earlier than that in the United States because Canada is closer to the north. Canadian Thanksgiving is generally considered to be influenced by three traditional customs. One is the influence from European tradition. Since the earliest harvest about 2,000 years ago, people have celebrated the harvest and thanked the rich nature for its kindness and good luck. When Europeans came to Canada, they also brought this tradition to Canada and had an impact on the later Canadian Thanksgiving tradition. The second is the impact of British explorers celebrating their survival. Canada held its first official Thanksgiving 40 years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts. In 1578, an English explorer named Martin Frobisher tried to discover a passage to the east, but he failed. But he established a settlement in what is now the Canadian province of Newfoundland and held a feast to celebrate survival and harvest. Other later settlers continued these "thank you" rituals. This time is considered Canada's first Thanksgiving. The third influence came from the later United States. In the autumn of 1621, the British immigrants who traveled across the ocean to the New World of America held a three-day carnival to thank God for the harvest. From then on, this custom continued and gradually became popular all over the world. During the American Revolution, a group of loyalists from the United States who were loyal to the British royal family migrated to Canada and brought American Thanksgiving customs and methods to Canada. In 1750, the harvest celebration was brought to Nova Scotia by immigrants from the southern United States. At the same time, French immigrants arrived and held a "Thanksgiving" feast. These have had a profound impact on Canadian Thanksgiving. In 1879, the Canadian Parliament declared November 6 to be Thanksgiving Day and a national holiday. In subsequent years, the date of Thanksgiving changed many times until January 31, 1957, when the Canadian Parliament declared the second Monday in October each year as Thanksgiving Day, a day to thank Almighty God for blessing Canada and giving Rich harvest.

[2] 2. When the holiday customs were celebrated collectively, there was no fixed date for Thanksgiving, which was temporarily decided by each state. It was not until the independence of the United States that Thanksgiving became a national holiday. Every Thanksgiving Day, the whole country in the United States is very lively. Christians follow the custom of going to churches to say thanksgiving prayers. There are costume parades, theatrical performances or sports competitions everywhere in cities and towns. Relatives who have been separated for a year will also return from all over the world, and the family will reunite and taste Thanksgiving delicacies mainly "turkey". [3] The most famous local celebration in the United States is Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which began in 1924. Every Thanksgiving Day celebration day, the whole country in the United States is bustling with excitement. People go to churches to pray thanksgiving according to custom. Costume parades, theatrical performances and sports competitions are held in urban and rural towns. Schools and shops are also closed as required. rest. The children also imitated the Indians in those days and put on weird costumes, painted faces or put on masks and went out to the streets to sing and play trumpets. Families living in other places will also go home to celebrate the holidays. The family will sit together, eat delicious turkey, and say "Thank you!" to their families. After Thanksgiving, the school asks students to draw a Thanksgiving picture, and most students draw turkeys. At the same time, hospitable Americans will never forget this day to invite friends, bachelors or people far away from home to celebrate the holiday. Since the 18th century, the United States has had a custom of giving baskets of food to poor families. At that time, a group of young women wanted to choose one day of the year to do good deeds, and thought that Thanksgiving was the most appropriate day. So when Thanksgiving comes, they pack a basket full of food and deliver it to the poor’s homes in person. This incident spread far and wide, and soon many people imitated their example. No matter who they meet, they will say: "Thank you!" Holiday Shopping Thanksgiving shopping has become an American custom. In the month from Thanksgiving to Christmas, the total sales of "Courage" turkeys in the U.S. retail industry can account for more than one-third of the entire year. It is the traditional peak season for discounts and promotions for various merchants. The crazy shopping month begins on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, which is known as Black Friday. The reason for this name is said to be that early in the morning on Friday, everyone rushes to the mall in the dark to queue up to buy bargains. This behavior has a very vivid expression, called Early Bird. )[4]. "Thanksgiving" in foreign countries is as important as the Spring Festival in China! The annual presidential turkey releasing ceremony began in 1947 during President Truman's administration, but in fact this traditional ceremony can be traced back to the American Civil War during President Lincoln's administration. One day in 1863, Lincoln's son Ted suddenly broke into a cabinet meeting and asked for the pardon of a pet turkey named Jack, because the turkey sent to the White House was about to become people's Thanksgiving dinner. On November 22, 2006, Bush pardoned a turkey named "Flying Bird" during a Thanksgiving release ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House. President Obama pardoned the Thanksgiving turkey on the 25th. And the turkey was named "Courage." This is also the first time he has pardoned a turkey since he took office. Obama also expressed his gratitude to the heroic soldiers who protect the safety of the American people. The fourth Thursday of November every year is Thanksgiving in the United States. Accompanied by his daughters Sasha and Malia, Obama pardoned the turkey that would have been on the plate. Obama said, I was going to eat this turkey. Thanks to Sasha and Malia's intervention, I pardoned "Courage." The turkey will be sent to Disneyland. To prevent accidents, the authorities also prepared a spare turkey named "Carolina." 3 Holiday Foods The pattern of Thanksgiving celebrations has not changed over the years. The sumptuous family feast begins months in advance, and preparations begin for the Thanksgiving turkey. At the table one can find apples, oranges, chestnuts, walnuts, and grapes, as well as plum puddings, mince pies, various other foods, and cranberry moss and fresh juices, the most wonderful and attractive of which are Roast turkey (roast turkey) and pumpkin pie (pumpkin pie), these dishes have always been the most traditional and favorite foods of Thanksgiving. Everyone agrees that roast turkey must be the main course at Thanksgiving dinner. Bread is used as stuffing when the turkey is roasted to absorb the delicious juices flowing out of it. However, cooking techniques often vary from family to family and region to region, so it is difficult to agree on what kind of stuffing to use.

Holiday recipes include: Cornbread - Cornbread, a favorite of both British and Native Americans. English Cheese Thanksgiving Food (10 photos) Pie - British cheese pie, cheese is very important to the British. Venison - Venison, the Indians brought 5 deer. Ducks & Geese - Ducks and geese, caught by the British. Wild Turkey - wild turkey. Garlic and Onions - Garlic and onions. Pumpkin Pudding - Pumpkin pudding. Indian Pudding - Indian pudding. Salad - Salad. Thanksgiving food is very traditional. Every Thanksgiving, Americans must have fat and tender turkey to eat. Turkey is the traditional main dish of Thanksgiving. It was originally a wild bird that inhabited North America. Later, it was raised in large numbers and became a delicious poultry. Each one can weigh forty or fifty pounds. There are still hunting grounds in some places for people to hunt before Thanksgiving. Those who are interested can go to the hunting grounds and spend some money to take home a few wild turkeys themselves. Make the festival more interesting. According to the recipe, a turkey of about 20 pounds needs to be roasted for 4 hours until the turkey is completely cooked. It needs to be roasted whole, the chicken skin is roasted to a dark brown color, and the belly is stuffed with a lot of mixed food, such as crumbed bread. The juices from the roasted turkey will be used to make a thick meat sauce, accompanied by sweet cranberry jam as a seasoning for the turkey. There is also a certain way to eat turkey at a Thanksgiving party. After it is served to the table, the host cuts it into thin slices with a knife and distributes it to everyone. Then each person pours the marinade and sprinkles with salt. It tastes very delicious. In addition to turkey, Thanksgiving food also includes cranberry jam, sweet potatoes, corn, pumpkin pie, salad, homemade bread, and various vegetables and fruits. These items are all traditional Thanksgiving foods. When setting the table, housewives do not place flowers as usual, but fruits and vegetables. A large pumpkin is often placed in the middle, with apples, corn and dried fruits piled around it. Sometimes people hollow out apples or pumpkins and fill them with shelled dried fruits or light candles. Normally, the hostess can invite guests to the living room after the meal, but she does not do this on Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving dinner is sweet. Everyone is willing to stay at the table for a while. They happily recall the past while eating. They don't leave the lovely table until the last candle burns out. 4 Holiday Games Cranberry Competition After the Thanksgiving banquet, some families often play traditional games. On the first Thanksgiving, people performed cranberry dances, competitions and many other entertainment activities, some of which have been passed down to this day. There is a game called the Cranberry Competition, in which a large bowl filled with cranberries is placed on the ground, 4-10 contestants sit around, and each person is given a piece of needlework. At the beginning of the competition, they first threaded their needles and threaded the cranberries one by one. When 3 minutes were up, whoever could string the longest would win the prize. As for the person who was the slowest, everyone jokingly gave him a worst prize. Corn Game There is also a corn game that is also very old. It is said that this was passed down to commemorate the five corns given to each immigrant when food was scarce. While gaming. People hid five corns in the house and asked everyone to find them separately. The five people who found the corns participated in the competition, while the others watched. At the beginning of the game, five people quickly peeled the corn kernels in a bowl. Whoever finished peeling the corn kernels first won the prize. Then people who did not participate in the competition gathered around the bowl and guessed how many corn kernels were inside. The one with the closest guess received the prize. A big bag of popcorn. Pumpkin Race People's favorite game is Pumpkin Race. Competitors use a small spoon to push the Thanksgiving pumpkin. The rule is that you must not touch the pumpkin with your hands. The first to reach the finish line wins the prize. The smaller the spoon used in the game, the more interesting the game will be. In addition to these activities, some families drive to the countryside for outings or take plane trips during the festival. Especially the place where immigrants settled back then - Plymouth Port is a place that tourists yearn for. There you can see a replica of the Mayflower ship and the Plymouth Stone, and spend a few hours in the Settlement Village. The immigrant village was built to resemble what it looked like back then. During the visit, there are specialized personnel dressed as Puritans who chat with tourists, giving people an immersive feeling. 5. The meaning of the holiday. In terms of its meaning and the way it is celebrated, there has been little change since 1621. On this day, churches of all denominations are open to express gratitude to God for his generous gifts.

Thanksgiving Day is a family holiday. All over the country, husbands and wives, children and the elderly, from city to town, from town to township, and from village to village, return to their hometowns to celebrate the holiday. People who couldn't return home also made long-distance calls to talk to their parents and family members and share their gratitude. The Thanksgiving meal is actually the same across the country. The table is always filled with all kinds of delicious food. Mostly turkey, naturally. Eating pumpkin pie is a way to remember the gift the Indians gave to the first settlers. In most families, some traditional games are played after meals. Thanksgiving is a joyful celebration, a time for family reunions and a time to renew friendships. On that day, even bachelors are always invited to other people's homes to share the joy of thanksgiving and thank God for his blessings. This is what Thanksgiving is all about. 6. Regional Differences: Thanksgiving in the United States and Canada is a holiday unique to the United States and Canada. It originated from a group of more than 100 European immigrants who came to the United States more than 300 years ago. It was difficult to survive due to hunger and cold. Most of them froze and starved to death in the winter of the first year. The remaining more than 50 people lived in the local area. With the help of the indigenous Indians, they learned to fish, hunt, and grow corn and pumpkins. When they celebrated the harvest the next year, they held a celebration to thank God and invited the Indians to participate. This is the origin of Thanksgiving. Later, President Lincoln declared the fourth Thursday of November every year as Thanksgiving Day, and since then the United States has had a new public holiday. Thanksgiving does not exist in Europe. Europeans do not have those experiences on the American continent, and there is no need to thank the Indians in another continent, so they do not have Thanksgiving. Because this holiday has deep roots in American history and involves the religion of the time. Many people think that Thanksgiving is a holiday popular in Europe and the United States. In fact, this is wrong. Generally speaking, it is very impolite to wish Europeans "Happy Thanksgiving" on Thanksgiving Day and is likely to cause resentment. There is no Thanksgiving custom in China's Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions, and Thanksgiving greetings may also cause confusion and disgust. Promotion of Chinese Thanksgiving Day Some people in China have suggested setting up another Thanksgiving Day in China. Although Western Thanksgiving has its religious connotations, it can fully absorb its positive elements, integrate it into traditional virtues, and give it a new meaning. It can re-choose a commemorative day and establish a "Thanksgiving Day" with Chinese characteristics. Learn from American holidays and set up China's own Thanksgiving Day so that children can learn to think from their parents' perspective and understand their parents; adults can be considerate of each other and have more harmonious interpersonal relationships. Some college students suggested that Chinese college students should set up their own Thanksgiving Day, a day to express love and gratitude to their friends and teachers, and to connect it with the surrounding reality, which made him think it makes sense. In fact, since ancient times, the Chinese nation has been willing to help others and repay kindness. "If you receive a drop of kindness from others, you should repay it with a spring of water." It was once a famous saying. Chinese education pays more attention to scores and admission rates. In addition, many children are only children. The doting of their families causes children to take other people's care for granted. Many students do not know how to thank and appreciate, but only know how to ask for it; they even treat those who care too much about themselves. Family members become rebellious and bored. There are also situations among adults who are ungrateful and forget their roots, and everything is only based on profit. In a civilized society, it is necessary to know how to be grateful and have a grateful heart; this is also an important requirement for building a harmonious society, which can promote harmonious and harmonious relationships between members, groups, classes, and groups of society, and promote Mutual respect, trust and help between people. Entry Picture Album More Picture Albums

Thanksgiving Food (10 photos)

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