THANKSGIVING DAY IN THE USA

What is Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated in the United States of

America and Canada. It is one of the most important fall* festivals. In
the United States Thanksgiving is usually a family day, celebrated with
big dinners and happy reunions. It takes place on the fourth Thursday
Pumpkin
in November and it is a time of holiday meals. American people have
turkey, pumpkin pie and Indian corn. They go to holiday parades* and
watch football* games on TV.

*Fall is the American word for autumn.

*Parade is a public march or procession honouring a particular occasion.
Wild turkey
*American football, not soccer! American football grew out of soccer and rugby.

The origins of Thanksgiving

On this day people remember the story of the American

colonists, called the Pilgrims. They were men, women, and
children who left behind the Old World of Europe on the
Pilgrims and Indians
Mayflower for a new life in North America. They developed
communities and came into contact with the Native Indians.
The Indians helped the Pilgrims to plant Indian corn. The
harvest in October was very successful and the Pilgrims
could survive. It was time to celebrate!

Corn
The pilgrims
Harvest
The Mayflower
Traditional Thanksgiving dinner

A traditional Thanksgiving dinner includes corn bread stuffing, mashed

potatoes, turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and a variety of other
dishes. Favourite desserts include pumpkin pie. Would you like to try it?

Thanksgiving meal Stuffed turkey with gravy Pumpkin pie

1 © Elena González Guerrero

Exercise 1: Answer the questions below according to the text:

a) What is Thanksgiving?

b) Where do people celebrate Thanksgiving?

c) When do Americans celebrate Thanksgiving?

d) What does ‘fall’ mean in British English?

e) What do American people do on Thanksgiving Day?

f) What do people remember on this day?

g) What do people have for dinner?

Exercise 2: Are these sentences true or false?:

a) American people don’t meet their families for Thanksgiving.

b) Thanksgiving doesn’t take place in winter.

c) American people don’t work on Thanksgiving Day.

d) American people don’t eat turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.

e) People don’t put pumpkins at the front doors.

f) American people don’t eat pumpkin pie.

Exercise 3: Correct the false sentences in exercise 2 so that

they are true. How do we form negative sentences in English?

Exercise 4: Can you think of a family day in Spain? What do you

usually do on this day? What do you eat?

2 © Elena González Guerrero