1. Thanksgiving
Prepared by: C. Drakopoulou

2. What is Thanksgiving?
It is a purely American celebration that has
nothing to do with religion.
For many Americans, Thanksgiving is
the only time when all members of a
family gather together. The holiday is
a time of family reunion.

3. When is it celebrated?
It is celebrated on the 4th
Thursday of November

4. Why in November?
Because autumn is the time of year when crops
are gathered. When the first European settlers
in America gathered their crops, they
celebrated and gave thanks for the food. They
thanked God for the success of the harvest.

5. How did it start?
Tradition says Pilgrim settlers from England
celebrated the first Thanksgiving in 1621.
The Pilgrims left England on a ship called the
Mayflower. They wanted to start a new life in
the New World.

6. How did it start?
About 100 Pilgrims landed in 1620 in what later
became known as Plymouth, Massachussets.
Their trip across the Atlantic Ocean was difficult.
They arrived just as autumn was turning to
winter. During the cold months that
followed, about half of them died.

7. How did it start?
When spring came, the Pilgrims began to
plant crops. A native American Indian named
Squanto helped them. When summer ended,
the Pilgrims had a good harvest of corn. There
was enough food to last through the winter.

8. How did it start?
The Pilgrims decided to hold a celebration to
give thanks for their harvest. Writings from
that time say Pilgrim leader William Bradford set
a date late in the year. He invited members of
a nearby Indian tribe to attend.

9. How did it start?
That Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days.
There were many kinds of food.
The meal included wild birds such as ducks,
geese and turkeys.

10. How did it start?
In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln declared
the last Thursday in November a national
holiday. At that time, the United States was
fighting a civil war. President Lincoln liked the
idea of a holiday that would also celebrate
national unity.

11. What do they do?
Americans enjoy watching football games on
Thanksgiving Day. Some of the games are
broadcast on national television.

12. What do they do?
Many people also like to watch Thanksgiving
Day parades on television. Big stores in several
cities organize these events.

13. What do they do?
Historically, stores have been closed on the
holiday. Most people spend the day with their
families or friends. Then, many go to stores
and shopping malls the following day.

14. What do they do?
In fact, the day after Thanksgiving is one of
the biggest shopping days of the year. People
start their Christmas shopping.
The Friday after Thanksgiving is often called
Black Friday.