Thanksgiving

Vocabulary:

Colonists: a group of people who leave their native country to live in new land that is owned by or connected to their native country.

Stuffing: a filling, usually of breadcrumbs, vegetables and herbs, traditionally cooked inside of a turkey or chicken.

Parade: a large, public procession that is usually festive.

Sale: a store’s offer of goods at reduced prices.

Canned food drive: an organization, school or church’s act of collecting food packed in cans to distribute to poor or homeless people.

To gather: to bring separate people or objects together into a group.

Thanksgiving is an American holiday that has been celebrated since 1863. The name of the holiday comes from the religious tradition of giving thanks to God. The first Thanksgiving was celebrated by a group of British colonists when they survived a tough winter in what is now the United States. Supposedly, the colonists celebrated with a big meal, or feast, shared with the Native Americans in the area.

Today, a feast is still the most important part of Thanksgiving. The turkey is the most special part of the meal. Other dishes that are commonly eaten on Thanksgiving include mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans, and corn. Dessert is an important part of the meal too! Most families have pumpkin or pecan pie.

There are a couple of popular events on TV on Thanksgiving Day. There is always a big football game, and a televised parade in downtown New York.

Most Americans do not see their extended family as often as Spanish people typically do. On Thanksgiving Day, Americans gather with their extended family, and this is considered a very special part of the holiday. For this reason, Thanksgiving weekend is one of the busiest travel times in the US.

Thanksgiving is also traditionally a time to give to those who are less fortunate. Many schools and companies have canned food drives to give to poor or homeless people.

The day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. This day is considered the first official day of the Christmas shopping season. Stores across the nation have big sales, and shoppers line up outside of the stores hours before they open in order to get the best sale items.

What does my family do on Thanksgiving? My grandma lives in the country in northern California, so my extended family travels to her house on Thanksgiving Day. We cook for most of the day before Thanksgiving. Before we eat our feast on Thanksgiving Day, we take turns telling everyone what we are thankful for from the past year. After we eat, we often take a walk, play football outside and watch the football game and New York City parade on TV. Also, we always take a family picture on Thanksgiving.

By Jenna