每年11月第四個星期四感恩節都要舉行慶祝活動，除招待印第安人食烤火雞外，並在一起瘵辦射箭、跑步、摔跤等體育競賽，夜晚還圍著篝火盡情歌舞，共享歡樂。
【感恩節介紹】
hail 批判
While the first Thanksgiving was held in 1621, it would take more than 150 years before all 13 colonies celebrated Thanksgiving at once, in October 1777.
In 1789, George Washington hailed the holiday, while President Thomas Jefferson scoffed at the notion, calling Thanksgiving "the most ridiculous idea" ever conceived.
For his part, Benjamin Franklin had such an affinity for turkey that he lobbied to make it the national bird (to no avail).
Turduckens 火雞鴨
Thanks to the culinary genius of Louisiana (or Wyoming or South Carolina — each region has staked its claim), more and more Americans are forsaking Butterballs for Turduckens.
A what? Picture this: a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken. It's like a Russian nesting doll only with poultry.
One store in Louisiania claims to ship more than 5,000 turduckens the week before the feast.
Though this may seem like sacrilege to some, the original Thanksgiving meal featured fish, oysters, eel and lobster as well as wild turkey. Other modern pilgrims settle for a tofu version ("tofurkey") or the wildly dangerous "deep-fried turkey."
Indians 印第安人
Thanksgiving was initially meant to be a fast, not a feast. The devout settlers at Plymouth Rock mostly recognized "giving of thanks" in the form of prayer and abstaining from food.
But the Wampanoag Indians, who joined the pilgrims for their 3-day celebration, contributed their own harvest traditions — dancing, games and feasting — from their ancient festival, Nickommoh, meaning "to give away" or "exchange."
name 名字
Three towns have been named after the holiday's starring player — Turkey, Texas, Turkey Creek, La. and Turkey, N.C. — each with less than 500 residents.
Legend has it that the pheasant's name came from the wayward traveler Christopher Columbus, who thought he was in India when he arrived in "The New World" and, hence, dubbed the pheasant a "tuka," an Indian term for peacock. The name stuck.
TV dinner (冰凍簡餐)
In 1953, someone at Swanson severely overestimated the amount of turkey Americans would consume that Thanksgiving.
With 260 tons of frozen birds to get rid of, a company salesman named Gerry Thomas ordered 5,000 aluminum trays, recruited an assembly line of women armed with spatulas and ice-cream scoops and began creating mini-feasts of turkey, corn-bread dressing, peas and sweet potatoes — creating the first-ever TV as later said he got the idea from neatly packaged airplane food.
【感恩節活動介紹】
Custom of Family Dinner(家宴習俗)
The 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.
家庭盛宴是感恩節期間的一個重要習俗。全家人圍坐在飯桌邊一起祈禱，願上帝施與永不停息的恩惠。這也讓身處異地的親友歡聚一堂，同慶美好時光。
Though historians don’t have an evidence to prove that turkey was eaten during the first thanksgiving dinner, the thanksgiving celebration will be incomplete without it.
傳統的填制火雞讓每個餐桌生色不少，南瓜派、酸果沙司、玉米更是那天必不可少的菜餚。雖然歷史學家沒有證據證明在第一個感恩節時人們就吃火雞，但沒有火雞的感恩節是不完美的。
The 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.
感恩節那天進行的巡遊儀式大概始於林肯總統時期，而且這天被宣佈為法定節日。隆重的巡遊儀式是顯示國家軍事力量和嚴明紀律的.一個方式，但這樣的巡遊主要目的是振奮國人，為大眾提供一個積極健康的娛樂活動。現代的巡遊活動還加入音樂節目，眾多名人也參與其中。
Football games??watching 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.
感恩節觀看美國國家足球聯盟的橄欖球比賽也是一個習俗。底特律雄獅和綠灣包裝工隊之間的傳統比賽至今仍然保留著。其中最值得紀念的比賽之一就在感恩節這天舉行
Custom of Decoration(裝飾習俗)
Thanksgiving 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.
感恩節是人們裝飾房屋,用清新干花點綴房間的時間。人們美化家園,給內部一個全新的外觀和感覺。他們點燈照亮周圍環境。桌子也掛有最好的瓷器、古玩銀餐具以示慶祝。
Custom of sending messages(傳送祝福的風俗)
Thanksgiving 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.
感恩節是人們送愛的資訊和溫馨的祝願給他們的親戚、同事、上司和下屬、極親密的人的一個節日。這一天他們通過贈送感恩節賀卡來表達自己的感受。
Custom of Praying(祈禱的習俗)
For 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.
幾個世紀以來,“感恩節”與在教堂和家裡祈禱者有關。人們提供各式各樣的用餐，禱告一下白天的情況。這是一個人類感謝上帝帶來所有祝福的時候，同時也是一個感激你的朋友和親人及所有的好事的時候。
