Thanksgiving

A great American tradition

Why give thanks ?!Thanksgiving is, in fact, a harvest festival. Traditionally,

it is the time of the year when you:

• give thanks for the harvest • can be grateful to friends

and family for good deeds• thank God for all his blessings

The first question (?)

Who was thankful ?Native Americans (”Indians”) or

pilgrims, puritans

• The date and location of the first Thanksgiving

• a real question ???

• Plymouth plantation,• in October • in1621.

Pilgrims, Puritans, Saints

HELP!the Wampanoag tribe

Native American

„indians”

They arrived unprepared in winter… They were: ill, hungry and weak.

very hard life

TodayPeople celebrate it

• on the second Monday of October in Canada

• on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States.

• Thanksgiving dinner.

Traditions

Sending cards and greetingsFamily reunion, Prayer, dinnerWatching American footballMaking a wishParades

Say your prayerThanksgiving

• For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, For love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends.

• Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Dining FeastDelicious food, fine drinks and making merry as always…

Pumpkin pie

Stuffed Roast Turkey

The bird is

about 7 kgsdifficult to prepare.

Cranberry & Corn

Cranberry sauce

Sweetcorn

Watch NFL games

WishboneWho can crack? The lucky one…keeps the bigger one…and can make a wish…

Send CardsPeople often send postcards, e-cards to each other

http://www.123greetings.com/

Go on paradeThere are famous parades like Macy’s in NYC.

Turkey in the White House

One in a million…saved.

And it lives happily on…

Birds of feather…

Republican Turkeys…

More than a bodyguard…

Thank you!

Traditions

• Thanksgiving Day is a communal celebration marked as a sense of gratitude people feel for all the good things in life. This is done by offering prayers, gifting your near and dear ones. The fourth Thursday in the month of November is marked for the yearly celebration. The tradition of Thanksgiving continues till date in the form of

Family Reunion and FeastingFamily feast is an important tradition during Thanksgiving. The entire family sits at the table during dinner and offer prayer to the Lord Almighty for his continuous grace. It is also a time for relatives living in different places to come together and celebrate.

•Tradition of TurkeyThe traditional stuffed turkey adorns every dinner table during the feast. Pumpkin pie, Cranberry sauce, Corns are some of the dishes cooked everywhere to mark the day. Though historians don't have an evidence to prove that turkey was eaten during the first Thanksgiving dinner, but the thanksgiving celebration will be incomplete without it.

ParadesThe traditional Thanksgiving parade probably started with President Lincoln proclaiming it an official day. The full- dress parade is a way to display the country's military strength and discipline. The main aim of such parades is to lift the spirits of the spectators, provide them with wholesome entertainment. In the present day, parades are accompanied with musical shows and celebrities.

Football GamesWatching NFL football during Thanksgiving is a popular tradition. The traditional game between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers continues. One of the most memorable games having been played on this day.

Traditions• Traditions are a big part of the Thanksgiving holiday, and every American family has their own way of celebrating. • 1. Turkey and Trimmings• From the first Thanksgiving to today's turkey burgers, turkeys are an American tradition dating back centuries.

According to the National Turkey Federation, 95 percent of Americans eat turkey at Thanksgiving. Regional twists offer variations on the traditional roasted bird, including coffee rubbed turkey from Hawaii, salt encrusted turkey from New England, and deep fried turkey from the South.

• 2. Time Out for the Pigskin• Throughout the United States, football on Thanksgiving Day is as big a part of the celebration as turkey and

pumpkin pie. Dating back to the first intercollegiate football championship held on Thanksgiving Day in 1876, traditional holiday football rivalries have become so popular that a reporter once called Thanksgiving "a holiday granted by the State and the Nation to see a game of football."

• 3. Parading Around• The first American Thanksgiving Day parade was held in 1920, organized by Gimbel's Department Store in

Philadelphia, not Macy's as most people believe. The NYC Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade tradition actually began in 1924, and has grown into an annual event of balloons, bands, and floats, enjoyed by more than 46 million people each year in person and on TV.

• 4. Making a Wish• Does your family fight over the wishbone from the Thanksgiving turkey? Known as a "lucky break" the tradition of

tugging on either end of a fowl's bone to win the larger piece and its accompanying "wish" dates back to the Etruscans of 322 B.C. The Romans brought the tradition with them when they conquered England and the English colonists carried the tradition on to America.

• 5. Giving Thanks• Last, but certainly not least, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for the people and blessings of the past year.

From pre-meal prayers to providing holiday meals to the homeless, the holiday is truly a celebration of praise and thanksgiving.

Customs

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Custom of PrayingFor centuries, 'Thanksgiving Day' is associated with communal prayers in church and in homes. People offer various meal time prayers during the day. It is a time, when mankind thanks God for all his blessings and grace. It is also a day to show gratitude to your friends and relatives for all the good deeds.

Custom of Family DinnerEveryone follows the custom of family dinner and reunion religiously every year. Distances don't really matter as relatives drive down to be with their family. Feasts are usually held at home. It is a time to enjoy their favorite 'Roasted Turkey' with the family.

Custom of DecorationThanksgiving is a time to decorate homes with wreaths, fresh and dried flowers. People beautify their homes, give the interiors a whole new look and feel. They light lamps to brighten the environment. Tables are adorned with best china and antique silver cutlery to mark the occasion.

Custom of sending messagesThanksgiving is a day when people send loving messages and warm wishes to their relatives, colleagues at work place, superiors and subordinates, near and dear ones. It is a day of conveying their feelings through Thanksgiving cards.

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