Thanksgiving An American Holiday Thanksgiving is celebrated each year in America on the 4th Thursday of November. In 2008, Thanksgiving will be celebrated on November 27th.

The Puritans A long time ago in England, there was a group of people who all went to the same church, they were called Puritans. They wanted to live their lives like God wanted them to, so that they could get into heaven. The things that the Puritans did were considered “extreme” by the rest of the members of the Church of England. They spent a lot of time praying and reading the bible and went to church on most days.

King James I The King of England, James the First, thought that everyone should go to his church, the Church of England. He got mad when the pilgrims didn’t want to go to his church, he said, “You go to my church or you go to jail!” The King James Bible was made while he was king.

Puritans vs. King James The pilgrims said, “Ok, we’ll go to jail.” But, finally the king realized that the Puritans weren’t going to change their minds, so he said, “You can get out of jail, but you have to leave England.”

The Mayflower So the pilgrims rented a ship and left England for America on September 6, 1620. Their ship was called the “Mayflower.” The Mayflower was a very small ship. The people had to stay inside for most of the day in a special room for the passengers. That room was probably not much larger than our classroom.

Journey to America The trip to America was long and hard. It took 66 days. There were storms and the ship was really crowded. They were on the ship for 66 days. There were 104 people when they left England, but about 12 of them died during the voyage.

The Pilgrims Arrive in America They arrived in a place called Plymouth, which is in the State of Massachusetts. The Puritans are also called Pilgrims. This word is used to describe someone who has traveled a long distance usually for religious reasons.

The First Winter in America During the first winter, 47% of the Pilgrims died. When the Pilgrims got to America, it was winter and there were no food or houses. Many of them died from sickness, starvation and freezing to death.

The Native Americans There were some people who lived in America already. The Pilgrims called them Indians. The Indians saw the Pilgrims suffering and they decided to help them. A more politically correct name for the Indians is: Native Americans. At first, the Native Americans were afraid of the Pilgrims, but later they became friends.

Squanto There was one Native American in particular who helped the Pilgrims. His name was Squanto. He spoke English because he had been a slave in England for 8 years. He helped the Pilgrims recover from their first difficult winter by teaching them the best places to catch fish and eel. He helped them to keep peace with the other local Native Americans. He acted as an interpreter, and guided them on hunting and trading expeditions.

The Indians Help the Pilgrims They showed them how to grow corn and pumpkins, how to build houses out of local trees, With the help of the Indians, the Pilgrims were able to prepare for their second winter in Plymouth. and how to survive the cold winter weather of Massachusetts.

When it was winter again, the Pilgrims had food and a place to live. The Second Year When it was winter again, the Pilgrims had food and a place to live. Thanks to the Native Americans, they Pilgrims survived their second winter in America. Without their help, the Pilgrims probably would have died during the second winter.

The First Thanksgiving Dinner The Pilgrims were so happy, they said, “We need to have a feast and celebrate. We’ll invite our friends, the Indians.” They wanted to have a big feast to thank God that they had survived, and to thank the Indians for helping them.

Thanksgiving Celebration Many of these foods are still eaten by American families each year at their own Thanksgiving parties. So they had a great feast that lasted for a whole week, and ate turkey, fish, deer, sweet potatoes, corn and pumpkin. They played games.

How Thanksgiving got its Name But the first thing they did was to say a prayer of Thanksgiving to God for giving them friends, food, houses and a place to live where they could go to any church they wanted. Every year after the first Thanksgiving dinner, the Pilgrims celebrated Thanksgiving to remind themselves about how lucky they were to have survived their second year in America.

Thanksgiving in America Today Thanksgiving has been celebrated every year in the USA since 1863, but in 1941, it was made an official national holiday by president Roosevelt. Each year as a holiday tradition, the President of the United States pardons a turkey. Pardon – means to save the life of the turkey. He won’t be eaten, and will spend the rest of his life living on a special farm at Disneyland. President Reagan, 1983.

Traditional Turkey Day Foods Each year, Americans eat typical foods, usually some of the same ones from the first Thanksgiving Dinner. Sweet Corn Roasted Turkey Mashed Potatoes and Gravy Turkey is the most traditional food for Thanksgiving dinner. You will find it at almost every celebration. Thanksgiving is nicknamed “Turkey Day” because of the importance of this food. Cranberry Sauce Bread Stuffing Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving Traditions During Thanksgiving dinner, most families take a moment and say a Thanksgiving prayer or have each person say what they are thankful for that year. Thanksgiving is the most important holiday in the United States because people of all religions celebrate it. It is also a time to be with friends and family together.

Traveling on Thanksgiving On Thanksgiving Day, families and friends usually gather for a large meal or dinner. Because of this, Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. In the United States, Thanksgiving is a four-day or five-day weekend vacation in school and college calendars. Most business and government workers are also given both Thanksgiving and the day after as paid holidays. The day after Thanksgiving, “Black Friday” is one of the busiest shopping days of the year. This year, it is estimated that 37 million Americans will be traveling on or around Thanksgiving Day.

Football on Thanksgiving Every year on Thanksgiving Day, many professional and university football teams play important games. These games are on TV all day, and most people watch them.

Thanksgiving Parades The most famous Thanksgiving parade takes place in New York City. It is called the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. Many American families watch this parade on TV on Thanksgiving morning. They also have parades in other big cities. The first Macy’s Thanksgiving parade was in 1924. Macy’s is a department store… one of the oldest and most famous in the entire US.

The End!