2. Thanksgiving
Day is a holiday
celebrated in
the United
States and
Canada on the
3rd
Thursday of
November.
3. Thanksgiving is a
holiday to
express
thankfulness for
possessions and
relationships with
family and
friends.
Traditionally, it has
been a time to
give thanks for a
bountiful
4. Americans commonly
believe that the first
Thanksgiving
happened with the
Pilgrims in 1621 in
Massachusetts.
There is evidence for
earlier celebrations
in Canada (1578) and
by Spanish explorers
in Florida (1565).
7. The trip to America was long and hard.
There were storms and the ship was
really crowded.
8. When they got to America, it was winter and
there were no food or houses. Many of the
pilgrims died from sickness, starvation and
freezing to death.
9. There were some people who lived in America
already. The Pilgrims called them Indians.
They saw the Pilgrims suffering and they
decided to help them.
10. The Indians showed the Pilgrims how to
hunt and fish.
They helped them build houses
out of the trees there.
They showed them how to
grow corn and pumpkins.
12. To celebrate, they had a great feast for one
week. They ate turkey, fish, deer, sweet
potatoes, corn and pumpkin. They played
ball games, sang, and danced.
13. They gave a prayer of thanks for food,
shelter, family and religious freedom.
14. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln declared
the holiday of Thanksgiving in November to
give thanks for "general blessings."
15. We still have Thanksgiving today.
Thanksgiving is celebrated today with a family
reunion.
Thanksgiving dinner is a popular
American tradition.
16. Most families begin the meal with a prayer
and everyone shares what they are thankful
for.
I am thankful for my family
I am thankful for my dog
I am thankful
for my house
24. Apart from food, the biggest Thanksgiving
traditions are football and parades. People
watch football games and parades on
television.
25. People associate
Thanksgiving with
the beginning of the
Christmas shopping
season. In order to
attract customers,
stores like Macy's
sponsored elaborate
parades like the
Macy's Thanksgiving
Day Parade.
26. Black Friday is the Friday
after Thanksgiving,
traditionally the beginning of
the Christmas shopping
season.
Many retailers open
extremely early, usually 5AM
or even earlier.
Shoppers wait in line for
hours before stores with big
sales open.
On occasion, injuries and
even fatalities are reported.
:o
