The fourth Thursday in November is Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving is an ancient festival created by the American people, and it is also a festival for Americans to get together with their families, so Americans always feel cordial when they mention Thanksgiving.
The most authentic and American holiday among American national holidays is most closely related to early American history.
in p>162, some worshippers went to America on the Mayflower to seek religious freedom. After two months of turbulence at sea, they finally landed in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in the cold November.
In the first winter, more than half of the immigrants died of hunger and infectious diseases, and those who survived began to sow in the first spring, in 1621. They are eagerly looking forward to the harvest all summer, knowing that their survival and the existence of the colony will depend on the upcoming harvest. Finally, the crops got an unexpected harvest. In order to thank God for the bumper harvest, a three-day carnival was held. Since then, this custom has continued and gradually became popular everywhere. In 1863, President Lincoln declared the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving celebrations have been held on this day until now. At that time, family reunion and national celebration will be as grand and enthusiastic as the Spring Festival in China.
The pattern of Thanksgiving celebration has never changed for many years. Preparations for a sumptuous family dinner began months ago. People can eat apples, oranges, chestnuts, walnuts and grapes on the dining table, as well as raisin pudding, minced meat pies, various other foods, cranberry juice and fresh fruit juice, among which roast turkey and pumpkin pie are the most wonderful and attractive dishes, which have always been the most traditional and favorite food in Thanksgiving.
Everyone agrees that roast turkey must be the main dish of Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey should be baked with bread as stuffing to absorb the delicious juice from the middle stream, but cooking techniques often vary from family to family and from region to region, so it is difficult to agree on what stuffing to use.
the origin of thanksgiving
the origin of thanksgiving is related to the religious disputes of Christianity in Britain. From the end of 16th century to 17th century, the English Puritans launched a violent religious reform movement, announced that they would leave the state religion and set up another church, and advocated removing the residual influence within the Episcopal Church. However, in the mid-17th century, the royalist parliament passed the Religion of Believing in the Country, and the Puritans began to be brutally persecuted by the government and church forces. Arrest, torture and religious trials threatened the Puritans all the time. Forced to do so, they had to move to Holland to take refuge. However, it's hard to live under the fence. In Holland, the Puritans not only failed to escape religious persecution, but also suffered from the pain and suffering brought by the war. What is even more unbearable for them is that in a foreign country, children can't stand the "English-style education" and their feelings for their native land are getting weaker day by day. In order to completely escape the clutches of religious persecution and preserve the language and tradition of the motherland for the next generation, they once again thought of the great migration.
although the world is big, where is the destination of this group of people who are reduced to the end of the world? After much deliberation, they turned their eyes to America. Columbus discovered this "new continent" more than 1 years ago, with vast territory and rich products, and there are still many places without kings. No parliament, no executioner, undeveloped virgin land. "The sea is wide with diving, and the sky is high." Only in such a place can they live easily, freely believe in and spread their favorite religion, and open up a paradise on earth belonging to Puritans.
So, Bradford, the famous leader of the Puritans, gathered 12 companions, and in September 162, he boarded a wooden sailboat weighing 18 tons and 9 feet long, and embarked on a Columbus expedition-style adventure voyage. This ship with a romantic name is too small for sailing. Due to the situation, they "chose" the worst crossing season of the year. However, with a bright vision for the future, in order to get back the lost rights and freedoms, this group of people who have suffered a lot have been desperate.
The sea is stormy and the waves are high. may flower is like a leaf in a storm, drifting forward with difficulty, and it is almost in danger of being wrecked and killed at any time. However, with the concerted efforts of everyone, the ship did not encounter any damage, and after sailing for 66 days, it arrived at Cape Cod on the North American continent on November 21, that is, the port of Provinse Town, Massachusetts, USA today. After a short rest, may flower continued to advance along the coastline. Due to the headwind and jet lag, it failed to reach its intended destination-Jamestown, Virginia. Instead, it sent them to the land of New England on the first day after Christmas.
interestingly, only one of all the explorers died in this dangerous expedition. However, due to the birth of a baby on the journey, there are still 12 people who have arrived in America. Immigrants are devout believers, and all of them cross their hands, and sincerely thank God for his care.
Now, what is presented to them is a completely strange land, and the winding coastline looks quiet and desolate. Therefore, within about a month, the immigrants did not dare to land rashly and still took the boat as their home. During this period, they sent a reconnaissance team and took a boat to find a settlement along Cape Cod Bay. One day, while everyone was waiting anxiously, the reconnaissance team came back to report that they had found a real "paradise" suitable for immigrants to live in. "Paradise" is today's Plymouth Harbor, which is a natural harbor and is very suitable for berthing in may flower. There is an excellent fishing ground near the port, which can provide a lot of seafood. Not far away, a rolling hill, like a natural barrier, surrounds the land. In the bright sunshine, the icy stream reflects the glittering and translucent luster, which can provide enough fresh water for immigrants. The cultivated fertile farmland is neatly arranged one by one. In addition, they also saw a dilapidated house, but it was enough to shelter them from the wind and rain and help them through the severe winter ... It seems that everything is fine and can't be better. The only thing that confuses them is that there is no figure and a wisp of smoke in this land full of human life, which looks so desolate as if it had been prepared for them in advance. Later, I learned that it used to be a very prosperous Indian village. A few years ago, flowers were popular, and no one in the village was spared, which made it the best refuge for this group of exotic drifters.
A few days later, may flower crossed Cape Cod Bay and dropped the anchor chain at Plymouth Harbor. When the immigrants landed in a small boat, according to the ancient sailing tradition, they first boarded a big rock towering above the sea. The salute on may flower roared and people were buzzing, and * * * celebrated the beginning of a new life. Later, this reef was called "Plymouth Stone" and became the historical witness of the first permanent colony in New England.
However, for these immigrants who are eager for happiness, the first winter was not beautiful. The cold wind blowing from the Atlantic Ocean screams in the air like a devil, and the snow and ice all over the sky beat the humble houses mercilessly. In this world of ice and snow, immigrants lack the necessary equipment and experience of living in this land. Under the heavy pressure of busy work, many people are tired and sick, and the bad diet and unbearable cold make more people fall to the ground. Infectious diseases followed, claiming many lives. One winter passed, and only 5 of the 12 immigrants who came to America through hardships and dangers were left. Almost every day, people die, and almost every day, one or more families are doing funerals. The joy when I first set foot on this land is gone. Everyone's heart is shrouded in an unprecedented atmosphere of despair. A dream, a beautiful dream that has just begun, is it broken like this? Everyone is thinking.
Just as the immigrants were helpless and waiting for death, one morning the following spring, an Indian walked into Plymouth village. He introduced himself and said that he was sent by Indian chiefs from neighboring villages to inspect the situation. This is the first guest the immigrants received after they came to America. They poured out their origins and all kinds of untold sufferings to the guests. The Indian listened silently, showing infinite pity and sympathy on his face. Things took a turn for the better. A few days later, the Indian Ann took his chief Massasod into the houses of the immigrants. The chief is a generous and enthusiastic man. He extended a warm welcome to the immigrants and sent them many necessities as gifts. The most experienced and capable Indians were sent to teach the immigrants how to live in this land and teach them skills such as fishing, hunting, farming and raising turkeys.
In this year, the weather was beautiful, the weather was good, and with the guidance and help of Indians, the immigrants got a bumper harvest, finally overcame the difficulties of life and lived a stable and prosperous life. In this autumn, Bradford, who has become the governor of Plymouth, issued a grand ceremony to thank God. This is the first Thanksgiving in history. Of course, he did not forget the real "God" who helped the immigrants solve problems-warm, hospitable and intelligent Indians, and specially invited Massasod and his Indians to attend the festival celebration.
The Indians accepted the invitation and sent five deer as gifts in advance. One day at the end of November, the immigrants gave a big banquet. The table was filled with game from the mountains and delicacies made from corn, pumpkin, bamboo shoots and turkey. The celebration lasted for three days. During the day, the host and the guest had a feast and chatted about their friendship. In the evening, there was a blazing spring fire on the grass. In the cool autumn wind, Indian boys danced, sang, wrestled and shot arrows with young people in Plymouth colony, and the atmosphere was very warm.
Today, in the eyes of Americans, Thanksgiving is more important than Christmas. First of all, it is a four-day holiday, which is enough for people to revel and celebrate. Secondly, it is also a traditional day for family reunion. During Thanksgiving, it has become a national custom for families who are scattered in other places to rush home for the holidays. In addition, the most important meal for Americans in a year is the Thanksgiving dinner. In the United States, a country with fast pace of life and fierce competition, the diet on weekdays is extremely simple. The popular world of American fast food is a good illustration. But on Thanksgiving night, every family has a big feast, and the abundance of goods is staggering. Turkey and pumpkin pie are necessary at the holiday table, from the president to the common people. These two "treasures" reflect the American people's memory of the hardships of our ancestors and the first Thanksgiving. Japanese mood. Therefore, Thanksgiving Day is also called "Turkey Day".
Although Thanksgiving Day is a day for family reunion, thousands of people still take time off to visit Plymouth Harbor and relive American history during the festival every year. Today, not only Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, but Canadians also regard it as a routine holiday. This may be because there are many descendants of British immigrants living in this vast land of Canada!