THANKSGIVING DAY

Presentation by Liannette Bellido Cintrón

IES Francisco Rodriguez Marín

NOVEMBER 2010

What is Thanksgiving Day?

• Thanksgiving is one of the most popular holidays in the United States. Traditionally, Thanksgiving is a holiday that Americans spend together with their families who enjoy a Thanksgiving meal which usually includes the traditional Thanksgiving turkey.

Why is Thanksgiving celebrated?

• The Pilgrims were the first people to celebrate Thanksgiving. They were escaping religious persecution in England, the country which they come from.

• On Sept. 6, 1620, they set sail on a ship called the Mayflower, leaving from England and arriving in the New World after 65 days. They settled in a town called Plymouth in what is now Massachusetts.

• The Pilgrims' first winter was very difficult, since it was very, very cold. Many of them died.

• On March 16, 1621, an Abnaki Indian named Samoset entered the Plymouth settlement. He welcomed the Pilgrims in English, and the next day returned with another American Indian named Squanto, who spoke English well.

• Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to survive in the New World, telling them which plants where poisonous, which were medicinal, and how to plant corn and other crops.

• The harvest was very successful, due in large part to help from the American Indians. The Pilgrims had enough food for the winter and had learned how to survive in the New World.

• Because of the success of the harvest, wich ended during the last days of November, the Pilgrims decided to throw a celebratory feast and invite the colony's American Indian neighbors to take part. The American Indians brought food as well, and the celebration lasted for three days. The custom of an annually celebrated thanksgiving continued through the years.

• Many view the first Thanksgiving as an example of the possibility of great respect and cooperation between two different cultures.

•In 1863 the President of the United States Abraham Lincoln made official the celebration of thanksgiving Since then each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, usually designating the fourth Thursday of each November as the holiday.

Thanksgiving Traditions

• Most families follow the traditions of the Pilgrims on the first Thanksgiving, but many have their own traditions that they follow each year. Here are some of the common traditions associated with Thanksgiving Day.

Travel

• One of the best things about Thanksgiving is spending time with family. Many people live far from family members and travel long distances by car, train, or plane to be with them. Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year!

The Feast

• Traditional foods are a large part of Thanksgiving celebrations. Many families include the entire family in the food preparation. Traditional foods include turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, cornbread, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. Many people serve pie for dessert at the end of the meal. Popular pie flavors are pumpkin, pecan, sweet potato, and apple.

The Wishbone

• Some families include breaking the turkey's wishbone as part of their celebration. The wishbone is found attached to the breast meat in the turkey's chest. After the meat has been removed and the wishbone has had a chance to become dry, two people each take one end of the bone, make a wish, and pull. Whoever ends up with the larger part of the bone gets their wish!

The Turkey Pardon

• Each year at Thanksgiving, the President of the United States receives a gift of a live turkey. At a White House ceremony, the president traditionally "pardons" the National Thanksgiving Turkey, allowing it to live out the rest of their lives on a farm.

Helping Others

• Many generous folks use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to help the less fortunate. Some people volunteer to serve food at homeless shelters on Thanksgiving Day and others donate to shelters or participate in canned food drives.

Thanksgiving and Television

• Television also plays a part in Thanksgiving celebrations. People began to associate Thanksgiving with the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. In order to attract customers, department stores like Macy's sponsored elaborate parades like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade .Many families watch it on TV. The parade includes marching bands, floats, songs and performances from Broadway musicals, and giant helium-filled balloons! People may also enjoy televised football games.

After the Meal

• After the feast families often do additional activities. Some like to take walks after eating such a large meal. Some people take naps. Others sit down together to play board or card games together.

“Black Friday”

• Black Friday refers to the day just after Thanksgiving. Many people begin their Christmas shopping on this day. This is one of the busiest days in shopping malls, and some stores open very early in the morning with attractive sales and discounts. It is called “Black Friday” because it is a terrible and chaotic day.

Thanksgiving also marks the beginning of Christmas!

How is Thanksgiving celebrated in Puerto Rico?

• Even though Puerto Ricans were not involved in the original festivities, we have made it part of our culture, giving it a twist. Much of the holiday is spent the same way as in the United States. Most businesses are closed; the family gets together; there is a lot food; and people go shopping. So what's the difference? The answer is what's for dinner and the importance of the beginning of Christmas.

Traditional Puerto Rican Thanksgiving meal

• A Puerto Rican-flavored Thanksgiving meal features, from bottom clockwise: rice with pigeon beans (arroz con gandules), fried plantains (tostones), turkey and for dessert, pumpkin flan.

Let’s see if you payed attention!

What is the traditional Thanksgiving food?

Turkey

Who were the first people to celebrate Thanksgiving?

The Pelgrims

Were did they come from?

They came from England

What was the name of the ship in wich they traveled?

Mayflower

What day is Thanksgiving celebated?

The fourth Thursday of November

True or False

“Black Friday” refers to the day just after Thanksgiving in wich people go shopping.

True

People like watching The Simpsons on Thanksgiving

Day.

False. People like watching parades and football games.

Thanksgiving also marks the beginning of summer.

False. Thanksgiving marks the beginning of Chritmas.

In Puerto Rico we eat chiken instead of turkey.

False. We also eat turkey in Puerto Rico.

Many people use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to help

others.

True