篇一：感恩节的英文介绍
Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and expressgratitude in general. It is a holidaycelebrated primarily in Canada and the United States. While perhaps religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday.
The date and location of the first Thanksgiving celebration is a topic of modest contention. Though the earliest attested Thanksgiving celebration was on
September 8, 1565 in what is now Saint Augustine, Florida[1][2], the traditional "first Thanksgiving" is venerated as having occurred at the site of Plymouth Plantation, in 1621.
Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Thanksgiving dinner is held on this day, usually as a gathering of family members and friends.
Thanksgiving Dayin America is a time to offer thanks, of family gatherings and holidaymeals. A time of turkeys, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. A time for Indian corn, holiday parades and giantballoons.
在美国，感恩节是一个感谢恩赐，家庭团聚，合家欢宴的日子；是一个家家餐桌上都有火鸡、填料、南瓜馅饼的日子；是一个充满了印第安玉米、假日游行和巨型气球的日子。
Thanksgiving is celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November, which this year (2005) is November 24th.
每年十一月的最后一个星期四是感恩节，在今年（2005）则是11月24日。下面让我们来看看感恩节的由来吧：
The Pilgrims who sailed to this country aboard the Mayflower were originally members of the English Separatist Church (a Puritan sect). They had earlier fled their home in England and sailed to Holland (The Netherlands) to escape religious persecution. There, they enjoyed more religious tolerance, but they eventually became disenchantedwith the Dutch way of life, thinking it ungodly. Seeking a better life, the Separatists negotiated with a London stock company to finance a pilgrimage to America. Most of those making the trip aboard the Mayflower were non-Separatists, but were hired to protect the company's
interests. Only about one-third of the original colonists were Separatists.
乘"五月花"来到这个国度的旅行者（朝圣者）原本是英国分离者地下教会清教徒，他们的家在英国，因不堪忍受国内的宗教迫害，他们逃亡到荷兰。在荷兰，他们享受了更多的宗教信仰自由，但最终却意识到在荷兰的这种生活方式是对他们的主的亵渎。为了寻求更好的生活，他们与伦敦贸易公司协商，由该公司资助他们到美国。在这趟旅途中，船上只有大约1/3的乘客是清教徒，其他大多数人并非分离派清教徒，而是公司雇佣来保护其利益的人员（契约奴）。
The Pilgrims set ground at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. At the beginning of the following fall, they had lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on the Mayflower. But the harvest of 1621 was a bountiful one. And the remaining colonists decided to celebrate with a feast -- including 91 Indians who had helped the Pilgrims survive their first year. It is believed that the Pilgrims would not have made it through the year without the help of the natives. The feast was more of a traditional English harvest festival than a true "thanksgiving" observance. It lasted three days.
1620年12月11日，旅行者们在"普利茅斯石"登陆。他们的第一个冬季是灾难性的，第二年秋天来临时，原来的102名乘客只剩下56人。但1621年他们获得了大丰收，这些幸存的殖民者们决定和帮助他们度过困难的91名印第安人一起飨宴庆祝。他们相信，若没有当地居民的帮助，他们是不可能度过这一年的。这次节日的盛宴不仅仅是一个"感恩"仪式，它更像英国传统的丰收庆典。庆典持续了三天。
Governor William Bradford sent "four men fowling" after wild ducks and geese. It is not certain that wild turkey was part of their feast. However, it is certain that they had venison. The term "turkey" was used by the Pilgrims to mean any sort of wild fowl.
总督布雷德福派了“四人捕鸟队”去捕捉野鸭和野鹅。我们现在并不能确定是否有野生火鸡在当时的筵席上，但筵席上肯定有鹿肉。当时，朝圣者用 "火鸡"一词来代表各种野禽。
Another modern staple at almost every Thanksgiving table is pumpkin pie. But it is unlikely that the first feast included that treat. The supply of flour had been long diminished, so there was no bread or pastries of any kind. However, they did eat boiled pumpkin, and they produced a type of fried bread from their corn
crop. There was also no milk, cider, potatoes, or butter. There was no
domestic cattle for dairy products, and the newly-discovered potatowas still considered by many Europeans to be poisonous. But the feast did include fish, berries, watercress, lobster, dried fruit, clams, venison, and plums.
现在，几乎每家感恩节餐桌上都有南瓜馅饼――感恩节的另一种主食。但在当年的第一次庆典上却不可能有这种食品。因为面粉奇缺，所以面包、馅饼、糕点等食物都没有。但他们却吃了煮南瓜，并用收获的玉米制成了一种油炸面包。也没有牛奶、苹果酒、土豆和黄油。没有驯养的奶牛，自然没有牛奶；而新发现的土豆被很多欧洲人认为是有毒的。第一次庆典上有鱼、草莓、豆瓣菜、龙虾、干果、蛤、鹿肉、李子等。
This "thanksgiving" feast was not repeated the following year. But in 1623, during a severe drought, the pilgrims gathered in a prayer service, praying for rain. When a long, steady rain followed the very next day, Governor Bradford proclaimed another dayof Thanksgiving, again inviting their Indian friends. It wasn't until June of 1676 that another Day of Thanksgiving was proclaimed.
紧接着的第二年(1622)却没有举行"感恩"庆典。到了1623年，发生了一场严重的旱灾，朝圣者们聚集到一起，举行了虔诚的祁雨仪式，刚好在第二天，一场充沛的大雨从天而降。威廉布雷德福总督宣布再次庆祝感恩节，并再次邀请了他们的印第安朋友。之后数年无感恩节，直到1676年6月，感恩节才再次被提出。 每年11月的第四个星期四是感恩节 (Thanksgiving Day) 。感恩节是美国人民独创的一个古老节日，也是美国人合家欢聚的节日，因此美国人提起感恩节总是倍感亲切。
感恩节的由来要一直追溯到美国历史的发端。1620年，著名的“五月花”号船满载不堪忍受英国国内宗教迫害的清教徒102人到达美洲。1620年和1621年之交的冬天，他们遇到了难以想象的困难，处在饥寒交迫之中，冬天过去时，活下来的移民只有50来人。这时，心地善良的印第安人给移民送来了生活必需品，还特地派人教他们怎样狩猎、捕鱼和种植玉米、南瓜。在印第安人的帮助下，移民们终于获得了丰收，在欢庆丰收的日子，按照宗教传统习俗，移民规定了感谢上帝的日子，并决定为感谢印第安人的真诚帮助，邀请他们一同庆祝节日。
在第一个感恩节的这一天，印第安人和移民欢聚一堂，他们在黎明时鸣放礼炮，列队走进一间用作教堂的屋子，虔诚地向上帝表达谢意，然后点起篝火举行盛大宴会。第二天和第三天又举行了摔跤、赛跑、唱歌、跳舞等活动。第一个感恩节非常成功。其中许多庆祝方式流传了300多年，一直保留到今天。
初时感恩节没有固定日期，由各州临时决定。直到美国独立后的1863年，林肯总统宣布感恩节为全国性节日
Fourth of November every year is Thanksgiving Day on Thursday
(Thanksgiving Day). Thanksgiving Day is a creative USA the people antiquited festival, festival being also an American whole family happy get-together, American mentions Thanksgiving Day therefore always feeling very kind.
The Thanksgiving Day reason needs to trace back to till USA history start. In 1620, the famous "May flower " number boat is fully loaded with the religious persecution puritan 102 people who endures United Kingdom in the homeland extremely getting to America. Winter in 1621 joint of in 1620 and, they have come across difficulty hard to imagine, above being poverty-stricken, past
tense in winter, the immigrant who lives down only has 50 messengers. At this time, good-natured Indian being given to have come an aliment by immigrant , goes out of self's way to send person to teach them how hunting , maize , Spanish gourd catching fish and cultivating. Under Indian help, immigrants have finally gained good harvest , the immigrant has stipulated the day thanking God's , have decided to be that the sincerity thanking Indian helps their to observe a festival , invites and in the day celebrating good harvest joyously , according to religious tradition convention.
This a day , Indian and immigrant on the first Thanksgiving Day get together joyously , they are in airing of views in the dawn the salvo, forms order walking into the room one being used as church , express a gratitude piously to God , light up and then a bonfire holding the grand banquet. The day has held a second day with third tripping and falling , race, has sung , has danced to wait to use personal influence. The first Thanksgiving Day are very successful. Among them a lot of the more than 300 years having celebrated way go around, reserves till today.
When original Thanksgiving Day does not fix date , the prefecture decides for a short time by every. Until USA is independent, in 1863 in the day afer tomorrow, President Lincoln announces Thanksgiving Day is countrywide festival.
篇二：感恩节ppt演讲
In 1620, the settlers, or Pilgrims, they sailed to America , seeking a place where they could have freedom of worship. During their first winter, over half of the settlers died of starvation or epidemics. Those who survived began sowing in the first spring. All summer long they waited for the harvests with great anxiety, knowing that their lives and the future existence of the colony depended on the coming harvest. Finally the fields produced a yield rich beyond expectations. And therefore it was decided that a day of thanksgiving to the Lord be fixed. Years later, President of the United States proclaimed the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day every year. The celebration of Thanksgiving Day has been observed on that date until today.
Stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet corn, other fall vegetables, and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner.
In every Thanksgiving, one of the most intense day for American Airlines in USA, nearly every aircraft class are booked. In order to spend the festival with their families, people are probably willing to accept it even the flights often delay.
In New York City, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is held annually every Thanksgiving Day from the Upper West Side of Manhattan to Macy's flagship store in Herald Square, and televised nationally by NBC. The parade features parade floats with specific themes, scenes from Broadway plays, large balloons of cartoon characters and TV personalities, and high school marching bands. The float that traditionally ends the Macy's Parade is the Santa Claus float, the arrival of which is an unofficial sign of the beginning of the Christmas season.
The Friday after Thanksgiving, although not a Federal holiday, is a holiday for many companies, except for those in retail. It is also a day off for most schools. It is popularly known as Black Friday, so-called because of the heavy shopping traffic on that day. Another reason for the term 'Black Friday' is that many stores reach sales numbers that take them out of the red and (hopefully) keep them in the black for the rest of the fiscal year. Black Friday is considered to be the start of the Christmas shopping season.
we are supposed to express our gratitude to others on thanksgiving day. however, we should feel gratitude every day.God has two dwellings, one in heaven, and the other in a meek and thankful heart. Being grateful to others is a way to show your love. n our daily life, we often receive help from our parents, friends, colleagues and strangers. perhaps it is a little thing, pick up the pen you drop, lift a heavy box for you or offer you a seat in the bus. we should be thankful to them for whatever they have done. the more love you give, the more love you receive. Thanksgiving Day in Canada is not on the same day of the America.Due to its relatively high latitude and the early maturity of corn, Canadians are mainly thanks the success of the harvest. They thank God giving abundant sunshine and dew, which does not have any religious color. Therefore, Thanksgiving Day in Canada is earlier than it in the United States. It is scheduled on the second Monday of October.
Canadians will also have a family reunion, and enjoy roast turkey and pumpkin pie. The traditional roast turkey is baked filled with croutons, onion, celery, sage condiments.
篇三：感恩节(中英文)
感恩节（Thanksgiving Day），美国印第安人，后来人们常在这一天第四个星期四，在这一天起将休11月22－28日之间，感恩节是美的感恩节则起始于1879年，是在同。11月的第四个星期四是感恩节。感恩节是美是美国人合家欢聚的节日，因此美国人提起感恩国定假日中最地道、最美国式的节日(holiday)，它 1620年，一些朝拜者乘坐“五月花”号船去颠簸了两个月之后，终于在酷寒的十一月里，在陆。 在第一个冬天，半数以上的移民都死于(die)第一个春季即1621年开始播种。整个夏天(summer)来，他们深知自己的生存以及殖民地的存在都将(finally)，庄稼获得了意外的丰收，为了感谢上帝活动。从此，这一习俗就沿续下来，并逐渐风行布每年十一月的第四个星期四为感恩节。感恩节今。届时，家家团聚，举国同庆，其盛大、热烈 感恩节庆祝模式许多年来从未改变。丰盛的准备。人们在餐桌上可以吃到苹果、桔子、栗子丁、碎肉馅饼、各种其他食物以及红莓苔汁和鲜菜是烤火鸡(roastturkey)和南瓜馅饼(pumpkinpie)，这些最受人喜爱的食品(food)。 人人都赞成感恩节大餐必需以烤火鸡为主菜以吸收从中流出来的美味汁液，但烹饪技术常因什么填料也就很难求得一致。 另外，加拿大的感恩节是在十月的第二个星特殊节日 没有恩人的感恩节 感恩节是美国加拿大独有的传统节日，在感民历史。首批欧洲移民从英国普利茅斯出发，乘冬到达北美洲（后来他们把这个登陆点也命名为 当时适逢大雪覆盖原野，寒冷饥饿令移民陷安人发现他们，并且给与慷慨援助，才绝处逢生火鸡宴，和印第安人举杯同庆，欢宴持续三天三 但是人们不知道，那个纯朴好客的部落就是个古道热肠的印第安人酋长就是菲力浦王的父亲 1618年北美洲东岸遭受到传染病“天花”的村落荒芜。酋长乐意让这些远方的来客到这些遗好联盟。这种兄弟情谊持续了近50年。 欧洲移民每年以3%的增长向北美大陆扩张，2000名移民。移民反宾为主。并以自己的文化发视轻蔑心理。一些商人在与古朴的土著族交往中益，让印第安人对白人日渐失去信任。 最初时期，对于印第安人的慷慨，殖民者会成你不“Giving”，我就要设法“Taking”。菲力浦王之的冲突，在没有土地所有权也就没有开发利用权和维护土地所有权的战争。 北美洲的历史，似乎在揭示这样一个冷酷的的开发方式、能够创造更大的社会财富，那么最行。文化传统、土地所有权、宗教法律、人伦道运行。 尽管印第安人是美洲大地最古老的居民，是试图维护低效的、传统的土地利用方式，总归要式，就以野蛮的方式。遗憾的是它以非常野蛮的土地所有权，又葬送了不少族人的性命，失败的 当然，有人把菲力浦王之战看成印第安文化教文明；有人把它看成是白人和土著的种族战争从中找到殖民主义扩张的罪恶证据，证明反对殖战争中发生的严重摧残人权的行为，来揭露今天至白人至上主义者也可以从中找到有色人种愚昧族优越论??凡此等等，都是各取所爱，试图从天。 集体庆祝初时感恩节没有固定日期，由各州临时决定为全国性的节日。 每逢感恩节这一天，美国举国上下热闹非常恩祈祷，城市乡镇到处都有化装游行、戏剧表演人们也会从天南海北归来，一家人团圆，品尝以 美国当地最著名的庆典则是从1924年开始的Thanksgiving Day Parade）。 每逢感恩节这一天，美国举国上下热闹非凡祈祷，城乡市镇到处举行化装游行、戏剧表演和规定放假休息。孩子们还模仿当年印第安人的模谱或戴上面具到街上唱歌、吹喇叭。散居在他乡Thanksgiving Day 和加拿大节日，由感谢他人。自1941假两天，都要和自国国定假日中最地每年10月第二个星国节和美现美年己道期人总早洲在国起的、一民是期寻的首，家最，独备美求马创感人美与创感国宗莎的恩团国美的亲历教塞病地到，年定亚个萄最恩，节聚式国一切史自州，盼来举，在于月，妙节原是，的的个。最由的活望的行美这中之还和中意在感节哥古感为。普下着收了国一国前有最最是每恩日伦老恩密他里来丰成3总天人就葡吸富为年节，布节节切们茅的收。天统，过开萄引于了11在加日日是相在斯人的最的林直春始干人传感谢月的每年拿大相，美关海登们到后狂肯到节着布的统也国。 上在欢宣如。 手大和饥饿和传染他们都热切取决于即将赐予的丰收各地。1863庆祝活动便的情形，不家宴早在几、胡桃和葡果汁，其中菜一直是感。火鸡在烘烤时要以面包作填料家庭和地区的不同而各异，应用期一。 恩坐普入。夜万－袭弃节，许多人会满怀温情回顾五月花号历经艰险，在1620利茅斯）。 绝境，一些人死去。幸亏印第二年新移民得到丰收，大?? 帕诺亚（ Wampanoag ）部落,－迈斯色以（ Massasoit）。 击，大批土著居民死亡，一的村落安身，并与他们结为移年第摆那些友1676年，新英格兰地区已有5，达先进为傲，对印第安人存有歧，常常采用哄骗的手段谋取利说：“Thanks Giving”；到后来，演变战根源，在于开发利用土地资源的实际情况下，转变成一场争夺规律：如果一块土地存在更有效终这块土地会依这种开发方式进德等等都不能制止这种潜规律的这失方苦和，民美落万块败式涩欧意主国后花土的表，洲在义高的园地。现不文激的举大里最这：堪化发正人量采原种印回之民义权例一始失第味战族性旗子瓣的主人败不以安人不。 ，倾向主义情；还有帜的虚，以支颜色，，但是要文明的方仅丢失了树绪的伪援代立；以性白表基有这；人春督人场甚种，直到美国独立后，感恩节才成，或“梅，体样外基体火西人育穿地督育鸡百们比上的徒比”货按赛离家按赛为感照等奇人照等主恩习，古也习。的节俗学怪会俗分感游前校的回前别恩行往和服家往了节（教商装过教堂做感一年的亲美食。 Macy's 堂店，节做也画，感都上一恩按脸家
人团团围坐在一起，大嚼美味火说：“谢谢！”。感恩节后，学校会让同学们画一张感恩节的画画的是火鸡。 同时，好客的美国人也忘不友、单身汉或远离家乡的人共度佳节。从１８世纪起，美国就开穷人家送一篮子食物的风俗。当时有一群年轻妇女想在一年中选，认为选定感恩节是最恰当不过的。所以感恩节一到，她们就装亲自送到穷人家。这件事远近传闻，不久就有许多人学着她们的管遇到谁，他们都会说：“Thank you！” 节日购物感恩节购物已经成为了美国人的习俗。从感恩节到圣诞节这一个月，美国零售业总销售额能占到全年的1/3强，是各个商家传统的打折促销旺季。疯狂的购物月从感恩节的次日（星期五）开始，这一天即被称为Black Friday（黑色星期五）。之所以叫这个名字，据说是因为周五这天一大早，所有人都要摸着黑冲到商场排队买便宜货，这种行为有个非常形象的说法，叫Early Bird（早起的鸟儿）。在外国“感恩节”和中国的春节一样重要！ 每年一度的总统放生火鸡仪式始于1947年杜鲁门总统当政时期，但实际上这个传统仪式可以追溯到美国内战林肯总统当政的时期。1863年的一天，林肯的儿子泰德突然闯入内阁会议请求赦免一只名叫杰克的宠物火鸡，因为这只被送进白宫的火鸡，即将成为人们的感恩节大餐。 2006年11月22日，布什在白宫玫瑰花园举行感恩节放生仪式上，特赦了一只名叫“飞鸟”的火鸡。 美国总统奥巴马25号特赦感恩节火鸡．并将火鸡被命名为“勇气”。这也是他上任以来，首次特赦火鸡．奥巴马并对保护美国人民身家安全的英勇战士表示感恩。 每年11月的第4个星期四是美国感恩节。在女儿萨莎和玛丽亚的陪伴下，奥巴马特赦了本来要用做盘中餐的火鸡．奥巴马说，我原本打算吃掉这只火鸡。由于萨莎和玛丽亚的干预，我赦免了“勇气”。这只火鸡将被送到迪士尼乐园。为防止意外，当局还准备了一只备用火鸡，名叫“卡罗琳娜”。 编辑本段节日食物 节日菜谱包括： Cornbread - 玉米面包，英国人和印第安人都喜欢的食物。English Cheese Pie - 英国奶酪派，奶酪对英国人很重要。Venison - 鹿肉，印第安人带来了5头鹿。Ducks & Geese - 鸭和鹅，英国人捕的。Wild Turkey - 野生火鸡。 Garlic and Onions - 大蒜和洋葱。Pumpkin Pudding - 南瓜布丁。 Indian Pudding - 印地安布丁。Salad-沙拉。 感恩节的食品极富传统色彩。每逢感恩节，美国人必有肥嫩的火鸡可吃。火 鸡是感恩节的传统主菜。它原是栖息于北美洲的野禽，后经人们大批饲养，成为美味家禽，每只可重达四五十磅。现在仍有些地方设有猎场，专供人们在感恩节前射猎，有兴趣的人到猎场花些钱，就能亲自打上几只野火鸡回家。使节日更富有情趣。 火鸡吃法也有一定讲究。端上桌后，由男主人用刀切成薄片分给大家。然后由各人自己浇上卤汁，洒上盐，味道十分鲜美。感恩节的食物除火鸡外，还有红莓苔子果酱、甜山芋、玉蜀黍、 南瓜饼、沙拉自己烘烤的面包及各种蔬菜和水果等。这些东西都是感恩节的传统食品。 餐桌布置也很有特色。主妇们不是照往常一样摆放鲜花，而是摆放水果和蔬菜。中间还常常放上一个大南瓜，周围堆放些苹果、玉米和干果。有时人们还把苹果或南瓜掏空，中间放满去壳的干果或者点燃蜡烛。平时，女主人可以在饭后把客人请到客厅里，但在感恩节却不这样做。感恩节的聚餐是甜美的，每个人都愿意在饭桌旁多呆一会儿，他们一边吃一边愉快地回忆往事，直到最后一根蜡烛燃尽，他们才离开那可爱的餐桌。 美国人吃火鸡时多数是焖烤。通常是把火鸡肚子里塞上各种调料和拌好的食品，然后用烧烤袋包好，整只烤出。 传统的感恩节大餐包括了烤火鸡，有些家庭是以烤鹅来替代火鸡；还有塞在火鸡内部的填充佐料Stuffing，是用撕成碎片的玉米面包(CornBread)、白面包和芹菜等等做成的；除此之外还有用火鸡内脏煮成的浓稠淋汁(Gravy)。另外还有一样特别的酱汁－小红莓调味酱汁(CranberrySauce)，用的就是每年九月和十月时盛产的小红莓。 其它的配菜还包括烤洋芋泥、烤红薯泥、青豆和比司吉等等。最后的甜点当然有应景的南瓜派，也可以准备核桃派或苹果派。 火鸡来历为什么要在感恩节都食火鸡呢。这要从感恩节的由来说起。1620年，英国一批主张改革的清教徒，因理想和抱负不能实现而退出国教，自立新教，此举激起了英国当政者的仇恨。这些清教徒们不堪承受统治者的迫害和歧视，先逃到荷兰，9月初，乘船远渡重洋，准备流亡美国。船在波涛汹涌的大海中漂泊了65天，于11月终于到达了美国东海岸，在罗得岛州的普罗维斯敦港登陆。当时，此处还是一片荒凉未开垦的处女地，火鸡和其他野生动物随处可见。时值寒冬，来到陌生的地方，缺衣少食，恶劣的环境正在威胁着他们的生命。在这生死攸关的时刻，当地的印第安人为他们带去了食物、生活用品和生产工具，并帮助他们建立了自己的新家园。 这些英国人在安顿好新家以后，为感谢在危难之时帮助、支援过他们的印第安人，同时也感谢上帝对他们的“恩赐”，是年11月第四星期四，将猎获的火鸡制成美味佳肴，盛情款待印第安人，并与他们进行联欢，庆祝活动持续了三天。此后，每年11月第四个星期四都要举行这样的庆祝活动，除招待印第安人食烤火鸡外，并在一起瘵办射箭、跑步、摔跤等体育竞赛，夜晚还围着篝火尽情歌舞，共享欢乐。
2 Thanksgiving Day 鸡，并且对家人，大部分学生都掉这一天邀请好始出现一种给贫一天专门做善事上满满一篮食物样子做起来。不
Thanksgiving Day
1621年，当普利茅斯的英国殖民者与万帕诺亚格印第安人(WampanoagIndians)，北美印第安人阿尔琴族一部落，后移居美国马萨诸塞州东南部)庆祝头一个感恩节时，他们狼吞虎咽的食品要丰富得多，而不仅是火鸡。由于当时龙虾、鹅、鸭子、海豹、美洲鳗和鳕鱼都很丰饶，这些东西极有可能是第一个感恩节的主要菜肴。历史学家只能确定有两种食品出现在那一年秋天的感恩节菜单上——鹿肉和野鸟。 如果我们不能肯定火鸡曾出现在头一个感恩节盛宴上的话，那火鸡又怎样成了如今感恩节的主要“吉祥物”呢？ 有一种说法是这样的，在16世纪某一年的收获节上，英国的伊丽莎白女王正在吃烤鹅。这时传来消息说，西班牙的无敌舰队(SpanishArmada)在前往攻击她心爱的英国途中沉没了，女王高兴不已，于是又要了一只鹅来庆祝这一捷报。因此鹅也就成了英国丰收季节的爱鸟。当清教徒们从英国来到美国时，烤火鸡代替烤鹅成了主要菜肴，因为北美大陆火鸡数量更为丰富，比鹅更容易找到。 火鸡以其体形大，生长迅速，抗病性强，瘦肉率高而受人瞩目，可与肉用鸡媲美，被誉为“造肉机器”。火鸡肉不仅肉质细嫩、清淡，而且在营养价值上有“一高二低”的优点。一高是蛋白南含量高，在30%以上；二低是火鸡肉在国外被认为是心脑血管疾病患者的理想保健食品，同时，火鸡肉也是益气补脾的食疗佳品。目前，世界上有许多国家以火鸡肉代替牛肉、猪肉、羊肉和鸭肉。 节日游戏 蔓越桔竞赛感恩节宴会后，有些家庭还常常做些传统游戏。第一次感恩节，人们进行了跳舞、比赛等许多娱乐活动，其中有些一直流传至今。有种游戏叫蔓越桔竞赛，是把一个装有蔓越桔的大碗放在地上，4-10名竞赛者围坐在周围，每人发给针线一份。 比赛一开始，他们先穿针线，然后把蔓越桔一个个串起来，3分钟一到；谁串得最长，谁就得奖。至于串得最慢的人，大家还开玩笑地发给他一个最差奖。 玉米游戏还有一种玉米游戏也很古老。据说这是为了纪念当年在粮食匮乏的情况下发给每个移民五个玉米而流传下来的。游戏时。人们把五个玉米藏在屋里，由大家分头去找，找到玉米的五个人参加比赛，其他人在一旁观看。比赛开始，五个人就迅速把玉米粒剥在一个碗里，谁先剥完谁得奖，然后由没有参加比赛的人围在碗旁边猜里面有多少玉米粒，猜得数量最接近的奖给一大包玉米花。 南瓜赛跑人们最喜爱的游戏要算南瓜赛跑了。比赛者用一把小勺推着南瓜跑，规则是 绝对不能用手碰南瓜，先到终点者获奖。比赛用的勺子越小，游戏就越有意思。除去这些活动外，有些家庭在节日里驱车到乡间去郊游，或是坐飞机出去旅行，特别是当年移民们安家落户的地方－－普利茅斯港更是游客们向往的所在。在那里，可以看到按照“五月花”号仿制的船和普利茅斯石，还可以花几个小时在移民村里参观。移民村是仿照当年的样子建成的。参观时，还有专门人员扮成请教徒同游客们谈天，给人以身临其境的感觉。 编辑本段地域差异 美国和加拿大节日感恩节是美国和加拿大独有的节日。它的起源于300多年前一批100多人的欧洲移民到了美国，饥寒交迫很难活下来，大部分人在头一年的冬天就冻死饿死了，剩下的50多人，在当地原居民印第安人的帮助下，学会了钓鱼、打猎、种玉米和南瓜，这些人在第二年喜庆丰收的时候，举行了感谢上帝的庆祝活动，并且邀请印第安人一起参加。这就是感恩节的由来。后来，美国林肯总统宣布每一年11月的第四个星期四为感恩节，从此美国就有了新的公休日了。 欧洲不存在感恩节欧洲人没有美洲大陆的那些这些经历，没必要感谢远在另一大洲印第安人，所以他们没有感恩节。因为这个节日有着深厚的美国历史由来，并且涉及当时的宗教。很多人以为感恩节是欧美地区都流传的节日，其实这是错误的。 一般来说，在感恩节这天祝贺欧洲人“感恩节快乐”是一个很不礼貌的行为，很可能会招来反感。在我国的香港、澳门特区也没有感恩节的习惯，感恩节问候同样有可能带来困惑与反感。 中国感恩节的推广国内有人建议在中国也另外设
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Thanksgiving Day
感恩节是美国国定假日中最地道、最美国式的节日，而且它和早期美国历史最为密切相关。1620年，一些朝圣者（或称为清教徒）乘坐"五月花"号船去美国寻求宗教自由。他们在海上颠簸折腾了两个月之后，终于在酷寒的十一月里，在现在的马萨诸塞州的普里茅斯登陆。在第一个冬天，半数以上的移民都死于饥饿和传染病，活下来的人们在第一个春季开始播种。整个夏天他们都热切地盼望着丰收的到来，他们深知自己的生存以及殖民地的存在与否都将取决于即将到来的收成。后来，庄稼获得了意外的丰收，所以大家决定要选一个日子来感谢上帝的恩典。多年以后，美国总统宣布每年十一月的第四个星期四为感恩节。感 恩节庆祝活动便定在这一天，直到如今。 感恩节庆祝模式许多年来从未改变。丰盛的家宴早在几个月之前就开始着手准备。人们在餐桌上可以吃到苹果、桔子、栗子、胡桃和葡萄，还有葡萄干布丁、碎肉馅饼、各种其它食物以及红莓苔汁和鲜果汁，其中最妙和最吸引人的大菜是烤火鸡和番瓜馅饼，这些菜一直是感恩节中最富于传统意义和最受人喜爱的食品。 人人都赞成感恩节大餐必需以烤火鸡为主菜。火鸡在烘烤时要以面包作填料以吸收从中流出来的美味汁液，但烹饪技艺常因家庭和地区的不同而各异，应用什幺填料也就很难求得一致。今天的感恩节是一个不折不扣的国定假日。在这一天，具有各种信仰和各种背景的美国人，共同为他们一年来所受到的上苍的恩典表示感谢，虔诚地祈求上帝继续赐福。 Thanksgiving Day is the most truly American of the national Holidays in the United States and is most closely connected with the earliest history of the country. In 1620, the settlers, or Pilgrims, they sailed to America on the May flower, seeking a place where they could have freedom of worship. After a tempestuous two-month voyage they landed at in icy November, what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts. During their first winter, over half of the settlers died of starvation or epidemics. Those who survived began sowing in the first spring. All summer long they waited for the harvests with great anxiety, knowing that their lives and the future existence of the colony depended on the coming harvest. Finally the fields produced a yield rich beyond expectations. And therefore it was decided that a day of thanksgiving to the Lord be fixed. Years later, President of the United States proclaimed the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day every year. The celebration of Thanksgiving Day has been observed on that date until today. The pattern of the Thanksgiving celebration has never changed through the years. The big family dinner is planned months ahead. On the dinner table, people will find apples, oranges, chestnuts, walnuts and grapes. There will be plum pudding, mince pie, other varieties of food and cranberry juice and squash. The best and most attractive among them are roast turkey and pumpkin pie. They have been the most traditional and favorite food on Thanksgiving Day throughout the years. Everyone agrees the dinner must be built around roast turkey stuffed with a bread dressing to absorb the tasty juices as it roasts. But as cooking varies with families and with the regions where one lives, it is not easy to get a consensus on the precise kind of stuffing for the royal bird. Thanksgiving today is, in every sense, a national annual holiday on which Americans of all faiths and backgrounds join in to express their thanks for the year' s bounty and reverently ask for continued blessings. came to America, but it was the American colonials who made a feast of it. After the successful harvest of 1621 in the first year of pious Plymouth colony, Governor William Bradford called for a celebration. But rather than spending the day in prayer, the colonists set the pattern for future American Thanksgivings by inviting the neighbors to a big family dinner, with roast fowl as the main dish. 第二段讲庆祝方式： In the United States, certain kinds of food are traditionally served at Thanksgiving meals. First and foremost, turkey is usually the featured item on any Thanksgiving feast table (so much so that Thanksgiving is sometimes referred to as "Turkey Day"). Stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn, other fall vegetables, yams and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner. All of these primary dishes are actually native to the Americas and were introduced as a new food source to the Europeans when they arrived.
Introduction
Thanksgiving Day, legal holiday observed annually in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the second Monday in October. Most people celebrate Thanksgiving by gathering with family or friends for a holiday feast. Thanksgiving was first celebrated by Pilgrims and Native Americans in colonial New England in the early 17th century. Its actual origin, however, probably traces to harvest festivals that have been traditional in many parts of the world since ancient times(see Festivals and Feasts). Today Thanksgiving is mainly a celebration of domestic life, centered on the home and family.II. Customs and SymbolsPrint section
Public observances of Thanksgiving usually emphasize the holiday's connection with the Pilgrims. Thanksgiving pageants and parades often feature children dressed in Pilgrim costume, complete with bonnets or tall hats, dark clothes, and shoes with large silver-colored buckles. Many of the images commonly associated with Thanksgiving are derived from much older traditions of celebrating the autumn harvest. For example, the cornucopia (a horn-shaped basket overflowing with fruits and vegetables) is a typical emblem of Thanksgiving abundance that dates to ancient harvest festivals. Many communities also decorate their churches with fruits, flowers, and vegetables at Thanksgiving, much as European communities have for centuries during the autumn harvest season. In keeping with the idea of celebrating a plentiful harvest, preparing and eating a large meal is a central part of most Thanksgiving celebrations. pumpkin pie. These simple foods recall the rustic virtues of the Pilgrims. emphasizing the natural bounty that greeted early settlers in their adopted homeland. Later groups of immigrants to North America often
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Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving meals include Italian specialties, such as pasta and wine. Many Americans digest their holiday meal while watching football games on television. Traditionally, two National Football League (NFL) teams, the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys, host games on Thanksgiving Day. High viewership of these holiday games has made football an American Thanksgiving tradition. III. Origins Long before Europeans settled in North America, western Europeans observed Harvest Home festivals to celebrate the successful completion of gathering-in the season's crops. In the British Isles, Lammas Day (Loaf Mass Day), observed on August 1, was often held to celebrate a good wheat harvest. If the wheat crop was disappointing, the holiday was usually canceled. Another important precursor to the modern Thanksgiving holiday was the custom among English Puritans (see Puritanism) of designating special days of thanksgiving to express gratitude for God's blessings. These observances were not held regularly; they usually took place only in times of crisis or immediately after a period of misfortune had passed. Puritan thanksgiving ceremonies were serious religious occasions and bore only a passing resemblance to modern Thanksgiving celebrations. IV. American Thanksgivings According to tradition, the first American Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 by the English Pilgrims who had founded the Plymouth Colony, now in the state of Massachusetts. The Pilgrims marked the occasion by feasting with their Native American guests—members of the Wampanoag tribe—who brought gifts of food as a gesture of goodwill. Although this event was an important part of American colonial history, there is no evidence that any of the participants thought of the feast as a thanksgiving celebration. Two years later, during a period of drought, a day of fasting and prayer was changed to one of thanksgiving because rains came during the prayers. Gradually the custom prevailed among New Englanders to annually celebrate Thanksgiving after the harvest. Colonial governments and, later, state governments took up the Puritan custom of designating thanksgiving days to commemorate various public events. Gradually the tradition of holding annual thanksgiving holidays spread throughout New England and into other states. During the American Revolution (1775-1783) the Continental Congress proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving following the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777. U.S. President George Washington proclaimed another day of thanksgiving in 1789 in honor of the ratification of the Constitution of the United States. In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom, and many other states soon did the same. Most of the state celebrations were held in November, but not always on the same day. In the mid-19th century Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Godey's Ladies Book, led a movement to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. In 1863, during the American Civil War (1861-1865), President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November Thanksgiving Day in order to bolster the Union's morale. After the war, Congress established Thanksgiving as a national holiday, but widespread national observance caught on only gradually. Many Southerners saw the new holiday as an attempt to impose Northern customs on them. However, in the late 19th century Thanksgiving's emphasis on home and family appealed to many people throughout the United States. As a distinctly American holiday, Thanksgiving was also considered an introduction to American values for the millions of immigrants then entering the country. During the 20th century, as the population of the United States became increasingly urban, new Thanksgiving traditions emerged that catered to city dwellers. The day after Thanksgiving gradually became known as the first day of the Christmas shopping season. To attract customers, large retailers such as Macy's in New York City and Gimbel's in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, began to sponsor lavish parades. By 1934 the Macy's parade, featuring richly decorated floats and gigantic balloons, attracted more than one million spectators annually. The custom of watching football games on Thanksgiving Day also evolved during the early decades of the 20th century. As football became increasingly popular in the 1920s and 1930s, many people began to enjoy the holiday at a football stadium. Teams in the National Football League eventually established traditions of playing nationally televised games on Thanksgiving afternoon. In 1939 U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt shifted the day of Thanksgiving from the last Thursday in November to one week earlier. Retail merchants had petitioned the president to make the change to allow for an extra week of shopping between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Many Americans objected to the change in their holiday customs and continued to celebrate Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of the month. Roosevelt's political opponents in Congress also opposed the break with tradition and dubbed the early holiday "Franksgiving." In May 1941 Roosevelt admitted that he had made a mistake and signed a bill that established the fourth Thursday of November as the national Thanksgiving holiday, which it has been ever since. Thanksgiving is also a legal holiday in Canada. Because Canada is north of the United States, its harvest comes earlier in the year. Accordingly, the Thanksgiving holiday falls earlier in Canada than in the United States. The Canadian Parliament set aside November 6 for annual Thanksgiving observances in 1879. In 1957 the date was shifted to an even earlier day, to the second Monday in October.
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