Thanksgiving Day has been an annual festival celebrated since 1863. It is a special moment for families and friends to meet and eat a meal together. The funny thing about holiday is that the date slightly changes every year. Traditionally, TD is observed on the fourth Thursday in November and it is one of the most important bank holidays.
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A bit of history
The occasion celebrates the arrival of the first Pilgrims to America. Some historians found out that the first true thanksgiving was in 1621. That was connected with giving thanks to Almighty God for good harvest and mercy they received. The Wampanoag and Pequamid Indians shared corn with the colonists and showed them the best places to catch fish. They also taught the Pilgrims how to plant and grow some vegetables in the American soil. Without their help there wouldn’t be Thanksgiving nowadays and the Pilgrims would probably have died of hunger.
George Washington, the first president of the United States, proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving Day in 1789.
The festival at the present time
Most businesses, government offices, educational institutions are closed on Thanksgiving Day. A lot of people enjoy a four-day weekend and go on trips to visit their extended families. That is why there is much traffic on roads and parades. This day is a time to show gratitude and respect to all your family and friends.
But what do American people eat? Well, there must be a turkey, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce on their tables. They also love telling jokes while getting together. We’ve selected the funniest ones:
Joke 1:
Q: Who is not hungry at Thanksgiving?
A: The turkey because he’s already stuffed!
Joke 2:
Q: What did the mama turkey say to her naughty son?
A: If your papa could see you now, he’d turn over in his grave!
Black Friday. Shopping!
Another interesting thing is what happens the next day. The opening of the Christmas shopping season officially starts – it’s called Black Friday. Thousands of shoppers look for competitive prices and hope to buy something special for their relatives. Some stores open at midnight and attract clients to sell as many products as possible. Just look at that!
SŁOWNICTWO
slightly – nieco / nieznacznie
observe – (tu) obchodzić np. święto
a bank holiday – święto państwowe
an arrival – przybycie
Pilgrims – pielgrzymi
Almighty – Wszechmogący / Wszechmocny (Bóg)
a harvest – żniwa
mercy – łaska / miłosierdzie
plant – sadzić
grow – uprawiać
proclaim – ogłosić / oznajmiać
an extended family – dalsza rodzina
gratitude – wdzięczność
a cranberry – żurawina
get together – spotykać się
stuffed – nadziewany (np. indyk) / najedzony
turn over in one’s grave – przewracać się w grobie
competitive prices – konkurencyjne ceny
relatives – krewni
store – sklep (AmE)
