American Thanksgiving

On the fourth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving[1] is celebrated in the U.S.. The holiday dates back to the first harvest[2] in 1621 of Pilgrims[3], who settled at Plymouth (in what is now the state of Connecticut). The Pilgrims invited the Native American tribe, who helped them survive in the New World, to a feast[4] of the crops[5], which they were taught to grow, in order to “give thanks”. Nowadays, it’s a four-day weekend when families get together and long-lost[6] friends meet up. The central act of the holiday is the traditional Thanksgiving meal, when traditional fall[7] food from the Pilgrim days are eaten, including Turkey, of course, with its gravy[8], yams[9], cranberry sauce[10] and pumpkin pie[11] for dessert. So much food is prepared, that the leftovers[12] are eaten for days afterwards at lunch and dinner. It has also become a tradition to sit together on the couch[13] to catch a game of American football on TV. Morning parades[14] are also a tradition. The most popular one, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, is held in New York City, featuring floats[15] of varied themes. At school, the day before Thanksgiving, children often act in plays[16] reenacting[17] the historic meeting between the Pilgrims and Indians.

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[1] Acción de Gracia, [2] cosecha, [3] peregrinos, [4] banquete, [5] cultivos, [6] mucho tiempo desaparecidos, [7] otoño, [8] jugo, [9] boniato, [10] salsa de arándano, [11] torta de calabaza, [12] sobras, [13] sofá, [14] desfiles, [15] carrozas, [16] obras de teatro, [17] reconstruir