48.ThanksgivingDay感恩节

ThanksgivingDayisaveryimportanttraditionalholidayinAmerica.OnthefourthThursdayofeachNovember,familiesandfriendsgathertogetherfortheoccasiontocelebratewithatraditionalturkeydinner,usuallyinthemid-afternoon.ThanksgivingDayoriginatedasacelebrationoftheyearsharvestandissimilartotheMid-AutumnFestivalinChina.

ThisAmericantraditionstartedin1621beforetheUnitedStatesofAmericawasestablished.Itwasahugecelebrationforahard-earnedharvestinthefirstyearafterthefirstgroupofimmigrantsarrivingintheNewWorld.

OnSeptember6,1620,theMayflowershipsetsailfromPlymouth,Devon,England,takingalltheEnglishPilgrimstotheNewWorld.TheEnglishPilgrimsnumberedaboutahundredpeople,andleftEnglandtoescapereligiouspersecution.

ThePilgrimssailedsixty-sixdays,arrivedintheNewWorldinNovemberofthesameyear.TheyfirstsettledinacornfieldabandonedbyNativeIndiansandnameditPlymouthPlantation.

TheyworkedonthelandwithmuchdifficultyandwerebesetbyadevastatingplagueinwhichhalfofthePilgrimdiedinthelongwinterof1620.Inthespringof1621,anIndianbravenamedSquantoandherWampanoagtribecametotheirhelp.ThetribetaughtthePilgrimshowtoworktheearthandplantcorn,beans,pumpkins,squashandothercrops.

InlateSeptember1621,thePilgrimswerepleasedwiththeirgreatharvest.Tocelebratetheirfirstharvest,thePilgrimswantedtothankGodandtheNativeIndian.TheyinvitedSquantoandtheentireWampanoagtribetocelebratetogetherinasharedfeast.

ThefirstThanksgivingdinnerissaidtohavelastedfromthreedaystooneweek.Itwasindeedatimeofhappiness,fellowshipandrejoicingforthePilgrims.TheyarrangedafriendlytreatywiththeNativeAmericanIndians,builthousesinthewilderness,andraisedsufficientcropstofeedthemselvesfortheupcominglongwinter.The