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 by the 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 the Indians had taught them to grow, in order to give thanks[6]. So let’s look at the many ways to give thanks!
Of course, when you’re extremely pleased[7] about something, you can say, Thank God! Or if you don’t want to blaspheme, you can say the milder[8], Thank goodness! However, if you don’t like these two options but still believe in divine intervention as the cause of your good fortune, you can say, Thank heavens! On a more astrological note, when you’ve had especially good luck, it’s time to thank your lucky stars!
But we can’t always look upwards to show our appreciation. Often, we have to be grateful[9] to the person standing right in front of us. If you want to exaggerate how grateful you are, say Thanks a million! If you want to explain to someone what a friend did, you would say, Thanks to him/her I was able to do something. For example, Thanks to my teacher’s help, I passed the exam! You can also give thanks to something. For example, Thanks to the snow, school was cancelled! Not surprisingly, people use this expression in a sarcastic tone. For example, Thanks to her, I missed the train! Thanks to the rain, the trip was cancelled! Sometimes, we have a case where we’re able to achieve things despite other people putting obstacles in the way, in this case we say a bit angrily, No thanks to him/her! For example, Luckily I found someone to buy the extra concert ticket, no thanks to Tom, who decided to cancel at the last minute!
Of course, we can answer someone who thanks us by saying you’re welcome. If you’re very happy to see someone, then you welcome them with open arms. This is especially true during holidays like this one, when you haven’t seen family or friends for a very long time. You can also be very pleased when something new happens, and welcome it with open arms too, such as a change in the weather, or a new boss. During the holidays, though, you have to be very careful not to stay longer than you’re expected to. In other words, don’t overstay your welcome!
[1] Acción de Gracia, [2] cosecha, [3] peregrinos, [4] banquete, [5] cultivos, [6] dar las gracias, [7] contento, [8] mas suave, [9] agradecido
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