Thanksgiving day

Every year, on the fourth Thursday in November Americans celebrate a holiday called Thanksgiving. It is a time when families come from near and far to be together for a big dinner and to give thanks for all the good things in their lives.

It all started with the Pilgrims. In 1620, 102 settlers arrived in the New World on a ship called the Mayflower. These brave people were from Plymouth, England, and they were looking for religious freedom and a better life.

Living in the new country was hard and many of the Pilgrims died of hunger during their first (and unusually cold) winter in the new land. These people weren't farmers or fishermen or hunters, and most of them had never fired a gun before in their lives. They weren't used to the climate and often fell ill. And of course, they missed their friends and relatives from the Old World.

It was the Native Americans who saved the settlers. They shared corn with them and taught them how to hunt, fish and grow corn, beans and pumpkins.

In the autumn of 1621, the harvest was so good that the Pilgrims found themselves with enough food to put away for the winter. There was corn and all sorts of vegetables and fruit. There was also fish to be packed in salt, and meat to be cured over smoky fires.

The settlers decided to celebrate the event and thank God for the success of their harvest. They invited their Native American friends to join them in the celebrations. The festival lasted

three days and included the traditional foods (such as turkey and pumpkin) that are still eaten on Thanksgiving Day.

Today, the fourth Thursday in November is the biggest travel day in America and more people fly, drive, and take trains to be with their families than any other day of the year. Although Thanksgiving Day is on a Thursday, most offices and schools are closed on the following day, and Americans have a 'four-day weekend.'

A traditional Thanksgiving dinner would have turkey (served with gravy and cranberry sauce), lots of vegetables, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and much more. The most popular dessert is pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top.

In New York City, a huge Thanksgiving parade takes place every year, and it is shown all over the country.

When Thanks­giving ends, the Christmas shopping season in the US traditionally begins.

H. Shwartz