Thanksgiving Day is celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of November. It’s an opportunity for Americans to give thanks for all the good things in their lives and to remember the hardships suffered by America’s early settlers. A typical thanksgiving scene consists of a family sitting around a dinner table laden with turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn, various fall vegetables, and pumpkin pie. Traditionally, a prayer of thanks precedes the start of the meal. Then it’s time to dig in! The first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 by the members of the Plymouth Colony in what is now the state of Massachusetts. The settlers (known as the Pilgrims) had set sail for the New World on a ship called the Mayflower on September 6, 1620. They’d done so in order to flee religious persecution in England. After 65 days at sea, they landed at Plymouth. The first winter for them was harsh and devastating. Grain they brought from Europe wouldn’t grow in the soil of their new homeland, and many died of starvation and sickness. Of the 110 Pilgrims that had arrived, only 50 survived the first winter. 感恩節每年於11 月的第四個禮拜四舉行，對於美國人而言是個好機會，為生命中的所有美事致上感激之意，也同時紀念美國早期拓荒者的困苦。 典型的感恩節景象包括全家圍桌而坐，桌上放滿火雞、馬鈴薯泥、蔓越莓醬、玉米、各種秋季時蔬和南瓜派。根據傳統，在開動前會先做謝飯禱告，接著就是大快朵頤的時刻！ 世界上的第一個感恩節於1621 年，由普利茅斯殖民地的移民舉辦，普利茅斯殖民地是指現今的麻薩諸塞州。拓荒者（也稱為新移民）於1620 年九月六日搭乘「五月花號」前往新大陸，他們這麼做是為了逃離英國的宗教迫害。他們在海上航行65 日，並在普利茅斯登陸。他們遇上的第一個冬天非常艱辛困苦，從歐洲帶來的穀糧無法在新家園的土地上種植，許多人死於飢餓和疾病。當時總共有110 位移民來到新大陸，卻只有50 位活過這個冬季。 | 
