 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 soil1 of their new homeland, and many died of starvation and sickness. Of the 110 Pilgrims that had arrived, only 50 survived the first winter. Seeing this, the local Native Americans came to the Pilgrims' rescue. They taught the Pilgrims skills for hunting and fishing. They also taught the Pilgrims how to plant corn and which plants were poisonous and which had medicinal properties. With the newly acquired knowledge, the harvest in the fall of 1621 was a great success. They had sufficient corn, fruit, vegetables, fish, and meat to put away for the winter. To celebrate the successful harvest, the Pilgrims held a three-day feast, complete with corn, barley, wild turkey, and venison. The Native Americans who had helped the Pilgrims survive their difficult first year were all invited, too. The practice of celebrating Thanksgiving after harvest continued over the years. In 1941, Congress proclaimed Thanksgiving Day a national holiday.
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。 有鑑於此，當地的美洲原住民上前幫助新移民，他們教新移民狩獵和捕魚的技巧，他們也教新移民種植玉米的方式，以及分辨有毒植物和草藥的訣竅。透過這些新知識，1621 年秋季的收成大豐收，他們得到足夠的玉米、水果、蔬菜、魚和肉類，足以存糧過冬。 為了慶祝豐收，新移民舉辦了三日的盛宴，美食包括玉米、大麥、野火雞和鹿肉，他們也邀請所有曾在艱辛的第一年幫助他們的美洲原住民一同參與。 因豐收而慶祝感恩節的活動延續了好幾年，1941 年時，美國國會正式宣布感恩節為國定節日。 | 
