The origin of thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is an ancient festival created by the American people, and it is also a festival for Americans to reunite with their families, so Americans always feel very cordial when they mention Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day is the most authentic and national holiday in the United States, which is closely related to the early history of the United States. Early immigrants who originated in Plymouth, Massachusetts. These immigrants were called Puritans in England. Dissatisfied with the incomplete religious reform of the Church of England and the political repression and religious persecution of the king and the Church of England, these Puritans left the Church of England and went to Holland. Later, they decided to move to a desolate place on the other side of the Atlantic, hoping to live freely according to their own wishes.
1962 In September, the ship Mayflower left England with 102 Puritans and their families for North America. After more than two months of hard sailing, it landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and settled down from then on. In the first winter, more than half of these Puritans died at once because of lack of food, cold weather, epidemic disease and overwork.
The following spring, Masasuode, the chief of the local Indian tribe, led the kind Indians, gave grain seeds to the Puritans and taught them to hunt, grow crops and fish. With the help of Indians, the Puritans had a bumper harvest that year. William bradford, the first governor, suggested setting up a festival to celebrate the harvest and thank God for his gift. At the same time, I also want to use this festival to strengthen the harmonious relationship between whites and Indians.
1621165438+1On a Thursday in late October, the Indians accepted the invitation and sent five deer as gifts in advance. Massasod brought Puritans and 90 Indians together to celebrate the first Thanksgiving in American history. Male Puritans go out hunting and catch turkeys, while women cook delicious food with corn, pumpkin, sweet potato and fruit at home. The table is full of mountain game and delicious food made of corn, pumpkin, bamboo shoots and turkey. The celebration lasted for three days. During the day, the host and guest held a banquet and talked about friendship. In the evening, there was a blazing spring fire on the grass. In the cool autumn wind, Indian boys and young people in Plymouth colony danced, sang, wrestled and shot arrows together, and the atmosphere was very warm.
At first, there was no fixed date for Thanksgiving, which was decided temporarily by the states. It was not until 1863 after the independence of the United States that President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday.
Today, in the eyes of Americans, Thanksgiving is more important than Christmas. The first is a four-day holiday, which is enough for people to celebrate. Secondly, it is also a traditional day for family reunion. During Thanksgiving, it has become a national custom for scattered families to rush home for the holidays. Besides, the most important meal for Americans in a year is Thanksgiving dinner. In the United States, a fast-paced and competitive country, the diet on weekdays is extremely simple. The popular world of American fast food is a good example. But on Thanksgiving night, every family has a big meal, and the richness of goods is staggering. From the president to the common people, turkey and pumpkin pie are essential foods on the holiday table. These two "treasures" reflect the American people's nostalgia for the hardships of their ancestors and the first Thanksgiving. Therefore, Thanksgiving Day is also called "Turkey Day".
Thanksgiving custom: playing games
After Thanksgiving dinner, some families often play some traditional games, such as dancing and competitions. Some of them have survived to this day.
1, cranberry contest:
Put a big bowl with cranberries on the ground, and 4 to 10 contestants will sit together, and each of them will send a needle and a thread. At the beginning of the game, they thread the needle first, and then string the cranberries one by one. When three minutes arrive, whoever has the longest string will win the prize. As for the person who dresses the slowest, everyone jokingly gave him the worst prize.
2, corn game:
It is said that this is handed down to commemorate the issue of five corn to each immigrant in the case of food shortage. During the game, people hid five corns in the house, and everyone looked for them separately. Five people who found corn participated in the game, while others watched. At the beginning of the competition, five people quickly peeled corn kernels in a bowl, and whoever peeled them first won the prize. Then people who didn't take part in the competition guessed around the bowl how many corn kernels were in it, and the prize for the closest guess was popcorn.
3. Pumpkin Race:
Participants push pumpkins with small spoons. The rule is never to touch the pumpkin with your hands. The first person to reach the finish line wins the prize. The smaller the spoon used in the game, the more interesting the game is, which often makes everyone laugh.
In addition to these activities, some families drive to the countryside for an outing or travel by plane during the festival, especially Plymouth Port, where immigrants settled in the past, is a place that tourists yearn for. There, you can see ships and Plymouth stones copied from Mayflower, and you can spend hours visiting the immigrant village. The immigrant village was built in imitation of that year. During the visit, professionals dressed as Puritans talked with tourists, giving people an immersive feeling.
The meaning of thanksgiving
As far as its significance and celebration methods are concerned, Thanksgiving Day has hardly changed since 162 1. On this day, churches of all denominations open their doors to thank God for his generosity. Thanksgiving is a family holiday. All over the country, couples, children and the elderly, from cities to towns, from towns to towns, from towns to villages, all go back to their hometowns for the holidays. People who can't go home also make long-distance calls with their parents and family to share their gratitude. Thanksgiving dinner is actually the same throughout the country. The dining table is always filled with all kinds of delicious food. Naturally, it is mainly Turkey. Eating pumpkin pie is to remind everyone that Indians gave such gifts to the first settlers. In most families, some traditional games are played after meals. Thanksgiving is a happy celebration, a day for family reunion and a time to renew friendship. On that day, even bachelors are always invited to other people's homes to share the joy of gratitude and thank God for his grace. This is also the meaning of Thanksgiving.
Articles on the Origin of Thanksgiving in the West:
★ Introduction to the Origin of Thanksgiving in the West
★ A Brief Introduction to the Western Stories about the Origin of Thanksgiving Day
★ The origin and significance of Thanksgiving Day
★ The origin of bilingual Thanksgiving Day
★ Introduction to the origin of Thanksgiving Day
★ The origin of American Thanksgiving Day
★ What is the significance of Western Thanksgiving Day?
A Brief Introduction to the Origin of Thanksgiving in English
★ The origin and customs of Thanksgiving Day