每年11月第四个星期四感恩节都要举行庆祝活动，除招待印第安人食烤火鸡外，并在一起瘵办射箭、跑步、摔跤等体育竞赛，夜晚还围着篝火尽情歌舞，共享欢乐。
【感恩节介绍】
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 火鸡鸭
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 (冰冻简餐)
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 dinner.Thomas later said he got the idea from neatly packaged airplane food.
【感恩节活动介绍】
Custom of Family Dinner(家宴习俗)
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.
家庭盛宴是感恩节期间的一个重要习俗。全家人围坐在饭桌边一起祈祷，愿上帝施与永不停息的恩惠。这也让身处异地的亲友欢聚一堂，同庆美好时光。
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.
传统的填制火鸡让每个餐桌生色不少，南瓜派、酸果沙司、玉米更是那天必不可少的菜肴。虽然历史学家没有证据证明在第一个感恩节时人们就吃火鸡，但没有火鸡的感恩节是不完美的。
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.
感恩节那天进行的巡游仪式大概始于林肯总统时期，而且这天被宣布为法定节日。隆重的巡游仪式是显示国家军事力量和严明纪律的一个方式，但这样的巡游主要目的是振奋国人，为大众提供一个积极健康的娱乐活动。现代的巡游活动还加入音乐节目，众多名人也参与其中。
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.
感恩节观看美国国家足球联盟的橄榄球比赛也是一个习俗。底特律雄狮和绿湾包装工队之间的传统比赛至今仍然保留着。其中最值得纪念的比赛之一就在感恩节这天举行
Custom of Decoration(装饰习俗)
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.
感恩节是人们装饰房屋,用清新干花点缀房间的时间。人们美化家园,给内部一个全新的外观和感觉。他们点灯照亮周围环境。桌子也挂有最好的瓷器、古玩银餐具以示庆祝。
Custom of sending messages(发送祝福的风俗)
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.
感恩节是人们送爱的信息和温馨的祝愿给他们的亲戚、同事、上司和下属、极亲密的人的一个节日。这一天他们通过赠送感恩节贺卡来表达自己的感受。
Custom of Praying(祈祷的习俗)
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.
几个世纪以来,“感恩节”与在教堂和家里祈祷者有关。人们提供各式各样的用餐，祷告一下白天的情况。这是一个人类感谢上帝带来所有祝福的时候，同时也是一个感激你的朋友和亲人及所有的好事的时候。
