感恩節的由來 - Thanksgiving then and now

感恩節到了!你知道為什麼會有感恩節呢? 感恩節怎麼來的呢?

Thanksgiving then and now

Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday of November.
It is one of the oldest American holidays. On Thanksgiving Day, Americans
remember the Pilgrims – a small group of people who came to America more
than 350 years ago.

The Pilgrims wanted to practice religion in their own way. The government
of England did not permit this, so the Pilgrims left England. In September
1620, 102 of them got on a ship and sailed to America. Their ship was named
the Mayflower.

The voyage was long and hard. The ship was small and crowded. Many
Pilgrims became sick. Some of them died. After 66 days at sea, the
Mayflower landed.

The Pilgrims named the place where they landed Plymouth. They started to
build houses there, but winter came very soon. They were not ready for the
cold. They did not have enough warm clothing. They did not have enough
food. Half of them died that winter.

At last, spring came. Some friendly Indians taught the Pilgrims how to
plant new vegetables – beans, corn and pumpkins. The Indians taught how to
hunt too.

During the summer of 1621, their crops grew. In the fall, the Pilgrims had
a big harvest. They wanted to give thanks for the food, so they had a big
feast. They invited their Indian friends.

The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days. There was plenty of
food to eat. There was turkey with nuts, beans cornbread, and a sauce made
from cranberries. For dessert, there was pumpkin pie. During the
celebration, the Indians and the Pilgrims played games together.

In the United States today, Thanksgiving is a lot like the first
Thanksgiving in Plymouth. Friends and families get together for a big
dinner. They eat the same food that the Pilgrims and Indians ate in 1621.
They often watch a Philadelphia, there are big Thanksgiving Day parades.
For modern Americans, Thanksgiving Day is also a day for giving thanks for
the good things they have enjoyed during the year.