感恩节宴会后，有些家庭还常常做些传统游戏。第一次感恩节，人们进行了跳舞、比赛等许多娱乐活动，其中有些一直流传至今。
【感恩节的由来英文版】
Thanksgiving Day, as celebrated in No rth America, is a time to gather with family and friends to give thanks for the many blessings enjoyed by these nations and their citizens. However, to many people, its meaning is lost.
It has become simply another day fo r huge meals, dinner parties, get-togethers o r reunions. What does Thanksgiving mean to you?
Turkey dinners, cranberries, candied yams, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and family gatherings—these are all commonly associated with most Americans and Canadians yearly celebration of giving thanks—Thanksgiving Day!
In the United States, Thanksgiving is on the fourth Thursday of November.
In Canada, it is the second Monday in October. On this holiday, a Thanksgiving meal is prepared with all the trimmings; families gather together and talk, while others watch a game or a parade filled with pilgrims, Indians and other colonial figures. Some families may even have their own yearly Thanksgiving traditions.
What comes to mind when you think of Thanksgiving? Do you picture a time of thankfulness towards God—o r is it merely one of eating, partying o r watching football?
Sadly, the latter is what Thanksgiving has become to most. They have fo rgotten why the day was established.
Its meaning has slowly deterio rated, and is now almost completely lost under a cloud of media hype, sales pitches, marketing tactics and blitz commercialism.
While many are familiar with the traditional representation of the o riginal Thanksgiving, it is helpful to examine the purpose for which it was first celebrated. By doing this, the days meaning will be firmly established.
【感恩节火鸡的由来】
Of all the symbols of thanksgiving, the turkey is most familiar and widespread.
It is considered as the most famous exemplary might be due to its sharp features, bright hues and majestic appearance.
Turkey is a common breed and a native of northern Mexico and the eastern United States.
Now it is being raised in large numbers and some of the commonplace species that are popular are Bronze, Narragansett, White Holland, and Bourbon Red.
Though there is no evidence that Turkey was available to the pilgrims, Massachusetts from where the practice originated, has a legend that it was served in the first Thanksgiving Dinner.
In a book written by the Pilgrim's Governor Bradford, he mentions of wild turkeys while another Pilgrim describes in a letter sent to England how the governor sent 'four men out fowling' who returned with turkeys, ducks and geese for the feast.
Though no accurate reports were found, a tale goes where turkey was their original choice but they could not find it. They cooked crow instead and served the local Indians.
As a part of tradition, turkey remains of central importance in the Thanksgiving menu surrounded by several other delicious dishes.
During the dinners, the family members may also utter a few lines of thanks or chant a special prayer.
【感恩节游戏】
蔓越桔竞赛
感恩节宴会后，有些家庭还常常做些传统游戏。第一次感恩节，人们进行了跳舞、比赛等许多娱乐活动，其中有些一直流传至今。有种游戏叫蔓越桔竞赛，是把一个装有蔓越桔的大碗放在地上，4-10名竞赛者围坐在周围，每人发给针线一份。比赛一开始，他们先穿针线，然后把蔓越桔一个个串起来，3分钟一到;谁串得最长，谁就得奖。至于串得最慢的人，大家还开玩笑地发给他一个最差奖。
玉米游戏
还有一种玉米游戏也很古老。据说这是为了纪念当年在粮食匮乏的情况下发给每个移民五个玉米而流传下来的。游戏时。人们把五个玉米藏在屋里，由大家分头去找，找到玉米的五个人参加比赛，其他人在一旁观看。比赛开始，五个人就迅速把玉米粒剥在一个碗里，谁先剥完谁得奖，然后由没有参加比赛的人围在碗旁边猜里面有多少玉米粒，猜得数量最接近的奖给一大包玉米花。
南瓜赛跑
人们最喜爱的游戏要算南瓜赛跑了。比赛者用一把小勺推着南瓜跑，规则是绝对不能用手碰南瓜，先到终点者获奖。比赛用的勺子越小，游戏就越有意思。
除去这些活动外，有些家庭在节日里驱车到乡间去郊游，或是坐飞机出去旅行，特别是当年移民们安家落户的地方--普利茅斯港更是游客们向往的所在。在那里，可以看到按照“五月花”号仿制的船和普利茅斯石，还可以花几个小时在移民村里参观。移民村是仿照当年的样子建成的。参观时，还有专门人员扮成请教徒同游客们谈天，给人以身临其境的感觉。
