Happy Thanksgiving!

What is Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving Day is the 4th Thursday in November. It is a federal holiday, so schools, banks, shops and offices are closed. Thanksgiving was the first holiday celebrated in America. It was first celebrated in the autumn of 1621 when the Wampanoag Indians and the pilgrims got together for a three-day feast.

Pilgrims

• The pilgrims were a small group of people who sailed to North America in order to start a new life.

• They sailed on a ship called the Mayflower and landed on Plymouth Rock.

Indians

• The Indians, or Native Americans, were the people living in America before the pilgrims arrived.

• They helped the pilgrims and shared their food with them.

The First Thanksgiving

Cornucopia

• Thanksgiving is associated with harvest, which happens during autumn.

• A cornucopia is a special Thanksgiving symbol of abundance.

Thanksgiving Today

• Today, families celebrate Thanksgiving by eating special food with family and friends.

• We eat turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, yams, corn, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.

• Many people also watch football and parades on television.

Thanksgiving in Sonja’s Family

Before guests arrive, we decorate the house and cook the Thanksgiving meal.

We talk about the people and things that we are thankful for and write them on the “Thanks Wall.”

We spend time together as a family, talking and laughing.

We share a special dinner together with lots of delicious food.

After dinner, we wash the dishes!