American autumn is rich in holidays. In November, millions of US citizens and residents will celebrate their most beloved, long-awaited and family celebration(not counting Christmas) - Thanksgiving Day. In English it's called Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving Day and is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Most Americans also take Friday off to give them four days off during which they can travel long distances to visit family and friends. In the USA, it is indeed very common for families and relatives to live in different states and cities.
In our country, we know about Thanksgiving primarily from Hollywood films, and thanks to English lessons at school. If you are lucky with a teacher and he loves the culture of the country whose language he teaches you, then you will also love the holidays of this great country and will discover a lot for yourself. And if not, then you should think about finding a private teacher.
Thanksgiving Day is a special holiday for Americans, but why this is so can be understood from the lessons of American history. Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell all the details within the scope of this article. historical facts more than 400 years ago. And I can immediately say that the official version of history is kinder, joyful and happier than what actually happened. However, we will not go into such details, simply because as part of general education on this topic, it is not necessary to know this. American Thanksgiving began as a holiday in the early years of the American colonies, almost four hundred years ago.
In 1620, a ship with more than a hundred passengers on board sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to stop in the New World. Pilgrims from England settled in what is now Massachusetts. Their first winter in the New World was very difficult. They arrived too late to grow enough crops and there was no fresh food or vitamins. Half of the colony died from the disease in the first winter. The following spring, local residents, the Iroquois Indians, taught the colonists how to grow corn (maize), showed them other crops to grow, and also taught them how to hunt and fish.
In the fall of 1621, the colonists harvested their first bountiful harvest of corn, barley, beans, and squash. The first Americans received so much that they were very grateful. They invited the local Indian chief and 90 Indians. The Indians brought deer, turkeys, and other wild animals with them. The colonists learned from the Indians how to cook cranberries and various dishes made from corn and pumpkin. According to legend, the Indians even brought popcorn on the first Thanksgiving. Such is the legend. This holiday is surrounded by many myths, many of which today have refutations.
In subsequent years, many of the original colonists began to celebrate the harvest. George Washington proposed the date November 26th for Thanksgiving. Then, in 1863, at the end of a long and bloody civil war, Abraham Lincoln asked all Americans to observe the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day. To this day, Thanksgiving dinner almost always includes dishes that were served at the first holiday: roast turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie. Before eating, there is a pause and a prayer or words of gratitude are said to give thanks for everything, including the joy of gathering as a family. The Thanksgiving holiday has become a national tradition—not only because many Americans found prosperity and wealth in this country, but also because the pilgrims' sacrifice for their freedom still captivates the imagination.
Traditions and symbols of Thanksgiving
The first football game (we mean American football) was broadcast in 1934. It started in Detroit with the Detroit Lions and the tradition continues strong to this day. The Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924 and also marks the start of the Christmas season. Now this tradition is known as. Franklin Roosevelt extended the Christmas shopping season and stimulated the economy by allowing Fridays to be taken off.
Turkey, corn, pumpkin and pumpkin pie, as well as cranberry sauce, are symbols that represent the first Thanksgiving dinner. Now all these symbols are applied to holiday decorations and Greeting Cards. Corn is also a symbol of the autumn season and harvest. Sweet and sour cranberry sauce, or jelly, was on the first Thanksgiving table and still is.
Modern Thanksgiving in America is a delicious dinner with the family, with obligatory dishes on the table, a football match, parades in the cities and the obligatory pre-Christmas mood. And of course, the obligatory prayers and words of gratitude.
Public recognition of the role of Indians in Thanksgiving is an important part of American history. Until now, most schoolchildren believe that the pilgrims prepared the entire festive dinner and brought it to the Indians. In fact, without the help of the Indians, the first settlers would not have survived.
Thanksgiving is a holiday that we are used to seeing in movies: with turkey, the American flag and, of course, smiles. In America, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.
Thanksgiving is a holiday that we are used to seeing in movies: with turkey, the American flag and, of course, smiles. In America, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. This day marks the beginning of the Christmas holidays.
The history of Thanksgiving goes back to the distant 17th century. Initially, it was a holiday of expressing gratitude to God and the people around us for all the good things. If you dig even deeper, then, theoretically, it was at this time that they thanked the deities for the harvest and fruits brought this year. But from century to century the holiday lost its religiosity, becoming more civil and generally accepted.
The story of Thanksgiving goes like this. The first settlers to the shores of America arrived from England in 1620 on the Mayflower on a stormy, frosty November day. The new arrivals immediately founded a colony, but less than half of the new Americans survived the harsh, unexpected winter.
Spring marked a new period in the history of the settlers. They learned to cultivate the land with the help of local Indians and tried in every possible way to grow at least some food. And the hard work of the inhabitants of the colony was rewarded - by autumn they received a rich harvest. Everyone was so delighted that they decided to celebrate this event. In 1621, the Pilgrim Fathers invited Indians to visit and help them grow food. The women prepared a ceremonial meal, and all those present thanked God and each other for their help and support. This was the very first American holiday, which was celebrated from time to time.As soon as the United States won independence, the date of Thanksgiving was moved back and forth, but in 1941 they settled on the fourth Thursday in November.
Thanksgiving is a gathering of several generations of a family in the home of the oldest. Everyone prepares dinner, which necessarily includes stuffed turkey, pumpkin pie, corn, baked chestnuts, apples, oranges, grapes and other berries and fruits. At the holiday table, each family member thanks the others for all the good things that happened this year.
As you can see, Thanksgiving is a very kind and joyful holiday! So if you want to stand in solidarity with the Americans, bake a turkey this Thursday and say Nice words your relatives, we are sure they will like it!
Among all American public holidays, Thanksgiving Day in the United States is perhaps the most famous outside the country. Almost everyone has heard about this holiday, but not everyone knows about the history and traditions of the holiday.
Story
Initially, Thanksgiving Day was a religious holiday; on this day, believers expressed their gratitude to God for all the favorable events in their lives. And in our time, the holiday has practically lost its religious features, having become generally recognized, it is celebrated by all citizens of the country, regardless of religion.
The history of Thanksgiving in America is interesting. The tradition of celebrating this date originated in the 17th century; the holiday was first held in 1621 by the first settlers who came to the North American continent from England.
The ship arrived on the shores of America in November, and the people who reached another continent founded the first settlement, called the Plymouth Colony. Not all colonists managed to survive the difficult winter; more than half of the people who arrived died, unable to bear the hardships.
In the spring, no more than fifty people remained in the colony, who began to develop local, far from the most fertile lands. In this, the colonists received great help from local residents - the Squanto Indians, who taught the arriving people to grow garden crops on scarce lands.
In the fall, having harvested quite a large harvest, the colonists decided to organize a holiday to give praise to God. Local residents - Indians - were also invited to this holiday. But at that time there was no tradition of celebrating the holiday; the first settlers celebrated Thanksgiving from time to time.
The initiator of the creation public holiday became the first US president elected after the country's independence. Abraham Lincoln proposed making the holiday an annual event, celebrating it on November 26th.
The date of Thanksgiving has changed several times. Currently, it is celebrated on the last Thursday of November. That is, it is impossible to say exactly what date the holiday is celebrated; every year the date is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the last autumn month.
Celebration traditions
Despite the fact that Thanksgiving in America has long ceased to be a religious holiday, this date is full of traditions.
The most important of them is that Americans celebrate this date with the whole family, gathering in the home of the older generation at the festive table. Each family member should remember and say what good and significant things happened to him over the past year.
The dishes served at the festive table. Turkey with cranberry jam is no longer just a tradition, but a unique symbol of the holiday. Why turkey? It is believed that this particular bird, shot by hunters in the nearby forest, was served on the table of the colonists during the first Thanksgiving celebration.
In addition, there should be an abundance of vegetables and fruits on the table, symbolizing a good harvest and a well-fed winter. Oranges, grapes, apples, corn and other gifts of nature should be presented on the table in abundance.
Another must-have dish served on the holiday table is a dessert sweet pie with golden pumpkin filling. The table must be decorated with bouquets made of autumn flowers and twigs with berries. All this creates a feeling of the generosity of nature, a rich harvest and food abundance.
Another generally accepted tradition is helping your neighbor. On the eve of the holiday, Americans try to do charity work and feed people who are not particularly lucky in life. Already in mid-November, aid reception points open in crowded places in the city. Citizens can donate money or food, which is used to prepare a festive dinner for the disadvantaged and homeless.
Turkey and the incumbent president
Thanksgiving Day is celebrated not only ordinary people, but also by those in power. An interesting tradition began during the reign of Harry Truman, who was the 33rd president of the country (in power from April 1945 to January 1953).
Every year, the current president is presented with a choice of two turkeys. One of the birds soon heads to the presidential kitchen to decorate the White House holiday table. And the second bird, as a result of a solemn ceremony, receives a “pardon” and is sent to live out its life on a special farm. A pardoned turkey will never be served on people's tables again; it will live on a farm until its natural death.
Parades
Every year, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated with a grand parade held in New York. The beginning of this interesting tradition was founded in 1924, thanks to employees of the large Macy’s department store. Then the first fun carnival took place on the streets of New York, which kicked off the traditional pre-Christmas sales season. On this day, animals from the zoo were paraded through the streets of the city, which, of course, greatly delighted the children who were the main guests at the holiday.
Four years later, inflatable figures depicting fairy-tale characters or animals began to be launched at the parade. This further fueled the interest of New York City residents and guests in the carnival procession. Photos from annual parades can only partially convey the festive atmosphere that reigns on the city streets at this time.
Modern Thanksgiving Day parades often feature famous people, movie stars, and show business stars. In addition, the procession is always full of clowns, street musicians and magicians. Spectators of the parade can watch the show for free, and the most convenient places are even specially allocated for children, located along the roadsides.
Interesting Facts About Thanksgiving
- The night before Thanksgiving is considered the most profitable time for American bars. The fact is that before the holiday, most Americans come to their parents' houses, and bars are their favorite places to meet with childhood friends.
- Watching sports matches has become a relatively new tradition for celebrating the holiday.
- American astronauts always celebrate Thanksgiving, even while on the orbital station.
- Every year on Thanksgiving Eve, at least 45 million turkeys are sold in the United States. This is approximately 1/6 of the total sales volume of this bird for the year.
- The Friday following Thanksgiving is called “Black” because the sales season starts on this day. Stores are open from the very early morning on this day, and some large chains begin sales at midnight.
- Among the inflatable figures that are traditionally launched into the sky during the parade, the most popular character is the dog Snoopy. This fairy-tale hero is found at holidays almost every year.
- In 1939, President Roosevelt proposed moving Thanksgiving from the fourth to the third Thursday in November. This was necessary to separate the holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) by a large period of time. However, this proposal did not receive universal support; in half of the states the holiday was celebrated in a new way, while in the rest of the country they remained faithful to traditions. The easiest way to solve the problem with the date of the holiday was the residents of the states of Colorado and Texas; for three years in a row they celebrated Thanksgiving Day twice - on both the third and fourth Thursday of November. This continued until 1941, when the date of the holiday was finally fixed, common for the entire territory of the country.
- The United States' closest neighbor, Canada, also celebrates Thanksgiving. But Canadians celebrate the holiday earlier - every second Monday in October.
Thanksgiving Day in the United States is traditionally celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. This year this day fell on November 28th. There are many traditions associated with this holiday, one of which is roast turkey. Where does this holiday come from and what traditions does it have - read on.
Thanksgiving Day goes back to 1620, when the English ship Mayflower landed on the shores of America after a two-month voyage. About a hundred pilgrims sailed on it, who, due to religious persecution, left their native country and set off on a journey in search of a free land. Unfortunately, the first winter turned out to be very harsh and difficult, and therefore claimed many lives.
Only thanks to the Indians, who taught the colonists to grow beans, corn, pumpkins, and showed them where to hunt game, the settlers reaped a very generous harvest that would allow them to survive the next winter. The pilgrims staged a pompous celebration as a sign of gratitude to God for his generosity.
The history of the beginning of the holiday
The holiday received its official name and date only more than 160 years later, after the decree of then US President George Washington, in 1789. It’s interesting that the president himself put into the holiday the idea of Americans’ gratitude to their Constitution.
But for real national holiday Thanksgiving Day has become 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War called for the parties to sit together at the table, as during Thanksgiving. It was he who set the date on which the holiday is still celebrated: the fourth Thursday of November.
Thanksgiving Traditions
There are many traditions associated with the holiday that Americans carefully preserve. On this day, all family members should go to church, and after the service gather at one table, on which there will certainly be turkey, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.
During the festive dinner there is tradition of counting "gifts of fate" when everyone takes a blank sheet of paper and writes down on one side all the good things that happened to him, for which he is grateful, and on the other side, all the bad things that happened and what you forgive everyone.
On Thanksgiving Day, the whole family gathers at the holiday table
Usually the good prevails, and for this they also thank each other and God. After the holiday itself, Americans have two more days off, during which they usually eat well, but also do not forget about those who do not have a family and cannot afford a holiday table. Newspapers advertise donations for charitable holiday dinners for the homeless, and there are even special tables at subway stations where gifts can be placed for the disadvantaged.
In addition to family dinners, already parades have become traditional.
This tradition dates back to 1924, when workers at Macy's department stores decided to organize a carnival to celebrate the start of Christmas markets in the chain's stores.
Four hundred people in colorful costumes of clowns, cowboys, and knights walked through the streets of New York, accompanied by professional orchestras and 25 live animals from the local zoo.
Parades are an integral part of Thanksgiving Day in the USA.
Not surprisingly, the residents were simply delighted. Since then, every year on Thanksgiving Day, this colorful parade takes place in New York, which is broadcast on television in the morning. Traditionally, bright carnival floats pass through the autumn streets to the sound of orchestras, and huge inflatable balloons depicting favorite American characters - from cartoon Mickey Mouse, Snoopy, Garfield to Santa Claus - float above the crowd.
"Pardoning the Turkey"
The 20th century brought not only a parade, but also another interesting custom. About fifty years ago, then US President Harry Truman began the tradition of the Turkey Pardon. During the holiday, many turkeys are eaten, but according to this tradition, at least one bird must avoid such a fate.
"Pardoning the Turkey"–ceremony taking place at the highest level of the state
This is a half-serious, half-joking ceremony on the eve of the holiday, during which the president reads decree pardoning turkey. After this, the “pardoned” bird is sent to the zoo, where it lives until death. The ceremony must be broadcast on television so that every American can see everything with their own eyes.
Celebration with family
A festive lunch is perhaps the most important attribute of the holiday. He gathers his family around him and is a symbol of the well-being and prosperity of every family. The main dish is turkey. Traditionally, you need to prepare it yourself, with the whole family.
Remember the first words you learned in English? Most likely it was: Good morning (good morning ), My name is ( my name is... ), well, how are you? ( how are you? ). Also, one of the first things we teach is usually - thank you ( thanks ). Thank people for their good words and doing is an important part of American culture. That's why in the USA there is such a holiday - Thanksgiving Day ( Thanksgiving ) - a whole day when people say words of gratitude to each other. Yes, you've probably heard about this, haven't you?
It's a celebration of food, family and gratitude for the good things in life, and is one of the most important holidays for Americans. For people who do not live in America, this holiday seems strange at first. To understand it, you need to study the history of its origins and how people celebrate it today.
Here are 25 Thanksgiving words you can use to impress your American friends if you're invited to a Thanksgiving dinner.
When is Thanksgiving celebrated?
Like many holidays in the United States, Thanksgiving does not have a specific date; it is celebrated on fourth Thursday of November, this year (2015) it falls on November 26th.
What does celebrating this day mean?
The celebration of this day began in 1621. That year, a group of Englishmen who came to America experienced enormous difficulties getting used to their new country a habitat.
And there was a group of Native Americans who were helping the English harvest crops and survive the difficult winters, so the former English decided to have a big dinner to thank their Aboriginal friends and also to celebrate the fact that they were still alive. This first Thanksgiving is captured in a painting by Jean Leon Jerome Ferris
The main reason for celebrating Thanksgiving today is the wonderful time you can spend with your family and friends, have fun and eat delicacies.
Who celebrates Thanksgiving?
Most Americans celebrate it today! Americans living in other countries (expats and expatriates) often celebrate with their friends and other Americans, cook traditional dishes Thanksgiving Day.
There are many religious holidays (such as Christmas, Easter, Ramadan, etc.) based on religious traditions and faith, but Thanksgiving Day is considered secular ( secular) , it is not associated with any particular religion. And, although many people say a prayer before this festive meal, anyone can share it - Christian, Muslim, and atheist.
Canadians also celebrate Thanksgiving, but in October, and its history is completely different.
Thanksgiving Vocabulary
First, 10 words common to the holiday, then 10 words about delicious food, since it is the prepared delicacies that are the most important part of this holiday. And finally, 5 bonus idioms and expressions related to this day.
1. Thanksgiving thanksgiving, grateful
Expressions such as Thanksgiving dinner, Thanksgiving break, Thanksgiving program. Americans often say: “Happy Thanksgiving!” - wish you had a good day.
Last year Thanksgiving Day was on November 28th. (Last Thanksgiving was November 28th.)
2. Holiday - holiday, day of rest
Everyone seems to know this word, but there may be some confusion here. Official holidays for the entire country as a whole are declared by the government. They are celebrated by the majority of the population and these are usually weekends: New Year, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Thanksgiving.
If holidays fall on Monday or Friday, then another day is added to the usual weekend: Saturday and Sunday, and everyone loves it - a long weekend.
Some people use the word holiday even if they are forced to work that day. For example, many will say that , and Christmas are holidays, but they may be unofficial holidays, that is, not accepted by the government, so they will most likely be working days.
There are many States in the USA, each of them has its own laws, so weekends may also differ.
(This is an unofficial holiday, but many still celebrate St. Patrick's Day every year on March 17th by dressing in green and eating Irish food.)
If you are talking to the British then holiday - it's more like a vacation or a trip. Americans call it - vacation .
Consonant pronunciation of two separate words holy and day. They mean Holy Day - a religious holiday. For example: Christmas ( Christmas ) and Easter ( Easter ) these are Holy Days.
Finally, there are two more concepts: free day And day off — this is an informal designation non-working days. Break— usually more than one non-working day.
3. Settler - settler
He's a pioneer pioneer or explorer). These words express that settlers are developing new territories, sometimes these territories are first occupied by a group of people.
4. Colony - the colony
This is territory controlled by another state. For example, the USA and Canada were once colonies of Britain, and Brazil was a colony of Portugal. People who create colonies are called colonists ( colonists ).
Plymouth that was the name of the British colony in the USA, now it is modern Massachusetts. Thanksgiving was celebrated there for the first time.
5. Pilgrim - pilgrim
In the context of Thanksgiving, the word Pilgrim usually denotes a settler in the Plymouth Colony. The Pilgrims of Plymouth were settlers from England who immigrated to America in the 1600s. They were religious people, Christians belonging to the branches of the Puritans ( Puritan ) and methodologists ( Methodist ). However, they had one thing in common - they were separatists ( Separatists ). Their differences with the Anglican faith forced them to immigrate to new lands far from England. Another interpretation of the word pilgrim - pilgrim, person making a pilgrimage ( pilgrimage ) to holy places.
Examples of using these expressions:
Mayflower was the name of the ship on which the first pilgrims arrived in America.
7. Native American native Americans
Native Americans are tribes that lived in America before the first colonists from Europe began arriving there in 1492.
We often call them "Indians" ( Indians ), since Christopher Columbus believed that he had arrived in India. In English there is no such distinction as we have: by changing only one letter in the word Indian, we got Indians. Americans prefer to call Native Americans by their tribal name ( tribe ) to which they belong.
The first tribe to celebrate the first Thanksgiving was the Wampanogue Tribe. the Wampanoag tribe ).
8. Harvest - harvest
Actually, Thanksgiving was originally a harvest festival ( harvest festival ), which the pilgrims were very happy about, since it was extremely difficult to grow this crop in an unusual climate and land for them.
9. Fall / Autumn - autumn
We are accustomed to the word autumn in English ( autumn ), and in America autumn is also called the word fall - a fall. Since Thanksgiving is celebrated in the fall, it is symbolized by falling leaves and the colors orange and brown.
10. Cornucopia / Horn of Plenty - cornucopia
This is usually a horn-shaped basket made of natural materials and filled with various delicious fruits and vegetables, a symbol of the harvest.
Expression horn of plenty can also describe anything that contains a large number of and an amazing variety of things.
Thanksgiving Food
There are words that are common to this holiday, although different families may have different traditions and prepare their own favorite dishes for the holiday.
11. Feast feast
A feast is a very rich table, it is also characteristic of some other holidays, but for Thanksgiving it is the main attribute.
12. Blessing - blessing
In general, this is what we are lucky with in life, for example, for some, children can be their blessing, but blessing is also a prayer said before eating. Religious people often say a prayer before a holiday meal to show that they are grateful to God for having so much good food to eat, and on Thanksgiving Day, non-religious people also say a blessing, since it is an attribute of the holiday, people want to show that they are grateful for their delicious food. This prayer is also called grace and say a prayer- to say grace.
13. Turkey - turkey
We finally got to the food! Turkey (turkey ) - This is a traditional product that is especially often consumed on Thanksgiving Day. It is said that 45 million turkeys are eaten at Thanksgiving! You can find the American recipe in English and Russian.
For vegetarians there is soy product tofurkey , which was developed as a turkey substitute in appearance and taste. So anyone can celebrate!
14. Gravy c ous, gravy
Gravy made from the juice of cooking meat, add flour, salt, maybe butter, and other ingredients to taste. A vegetarian and vegan g ravy prepared on the basis of liquid from boiled and fried vegetables.
15. Cranberry (Sauce) - cranberry syrup
Cranberries are usually very acidic, so they are prepared with added sugar. This is not very common in our cuisine, but this sweet syrup is served with turkey meat.
A few examples of the use of names of dishes we have already studied:
16. Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream - pumpkin pie with whipped cream
Pumpkin pie is the most popular Thanksgiving dessert. It is served with whipped cream, the cream must be whipped very well so that it turns almost into a solid substance.
17. Yams or Sweet Potatoes - yam or sweet potato
Sweet potatoes and sweet potatoes are slightly different from each other, but most people don't see much difference between them. This typical Thanksgiving dish is prepared by mashing boiled tubers and adding brown sugar and other ingredients, such as marshmallows.
18. Mashed Potatoes - mashed potatoes
Well, this dish is also typical for our cuisine - mash boiled potatoes, add butter, salt, you can also add herbs and spices to your taste.
19. Stuffing ( in some dialects Dressing) - minced meat
When the turkey is cooking in the oven, you can add some ingredients to taste. This type of turkey will be called stuffed. Americans stuff the turkey with celery, herbs and cubes of bread. But not everyone likes “turkey guts,” so sometimes this stuffing is prepared separately.
20. Corn — corn
Of course, we have all eaten corn and know what it is. For Thanksgiving, corn is more common as a symbol; the dried ears are associated with harvest time, so corn is often used as a table decoration.
Here are examples of the use of the names of the dishes we mentioned:
5 Bonus Phrases and Idioms About Thanksgiving
with examples of use
21. To be thankful for something - to be grateful for something
This is the most commonly used expression at Thanksgiving.
22. To be a turkey - be a turkey
It doesn't have much to do with Thanksgiving if you call a person a turkey. (Aturkey ) , you want to say that he is strange or funny.
23. Hot potato - hot potatoes
Hot potatoes are a difficult problem, or a situation that no one wants to solve, like a baked potato being thrown from one person to another from a fire, it burns your hands, and you want to get rid of it quickly. There’s even a game like this, but it’s not about throwing a potato, but a ball or another object, the main thing is to do it. as fast as possible.
24. Corny - corny
Adjective meaning: stupid, funny and not funny.
25. Black Friday - black Friday
We also already know about this day, it is associated with sales and discounts, and in the past, and even now in some places, many people were given two days off for Thanksgiving: Thursday and Friday. Together with Saturday and Sunday, you get four days off, during which you can travel or just have fun. In addition, you can spend a couple of days looking for Christmas gifts, since Christmas is just around the corner. Why is Friday Black - probably because the shops are full of people and the streets are dark from crowds of people.
And finally, I want to thank those who read this article, I hope you found it useful.
Happy Thanksgiving!(Happy Thanksgiving!)
