Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November. It commemorates the 1621 harvest feast shared by the English Pilgrims and Wampanoag Native Americans. The Pilgrims had faced hardship in their first winter in America, and the Wampanoag taught them how to survive and helped with the successful corn harvest. To celebrate, the Pilgrims and Wampanoag shared an autumn harvest feast of turkey, corn, squash, and fruits. Today, Thanksgiving traditions include families gathering for a feast, watching parades, and beginning Christmas shopping on Black Friday.

1. THANKSGIVING
DAY
Presentation by Liannette Bellido
Cintrón
IES Francisco Rodriguez Marín

2. What is Thanksgiving Day?
• Thanksgiving is one of the most popular holidays in the United
States. Traditionally, Thanksgiving is a holiday that Americans
spend together with their families who enjoy a Thanksgiving
meal which usually includes the traditional Thanksgiving
turkey.

3. Why is Thanksgiving celebrated
• The Pilgrims were the
first people to
celebrate
Thanksgiving. They
were escaping
religious persecution in
England, the country
which they come from.

4. • On Sept. 6, 1620, they set sail on a ship called the Mayflower,
leaving from England and arriving in the New World after 65
days. They settled in a town called Plymouth in what is now
Massachusetts.

5. • The Pilgrims' first winter was very difficult, since it was very,
very cold. Many of them died.
• On March 16, 1621, an Abnaki Indian named Samoset
entered the Plymouth settlement. He welcomed the Pilgrims
in English, and the next day returned with another American
Indian named Squanto, who spoke English well.

6. • Squanto taught the
Pilgrims how to survive
in the New World,
telling them which
plants where
poisonous, which were
medicinal, and how to
plant corn and other
crops.

7. • The harvest was very successful, due in large part to help
from the American Indians. The Pilgrims had enough food
for the winter and had learned how to survive in the New
World.

8. • Because of the success of the harvest, wich ended during the
last days of November, the Pilgrims decided to throw a
celebratory feast and invite the colony's American Indian
neighbors to take part. The American Indians brought food as
well, and the celebration lasted for three days. The custom of
an annually celebrated thanksgiving continued through the
years.

9. • Many view the first Thanksgiving as an
example of the possibility of great
respect and cooperation between two
different cultures.
•In 1863 the President of the United
States Abraham Lincoln made official the
celebration of thanksgiving Since then
each president has issued a Thanksgiving
Day proclamation, usually designating the
fourth Thursday of each November as the
holiday.

10. Thanksgiving Traditions
• Most families follow the traditions of the Pilgrims on the first
Thanksgiving, but many have their own traditions that they
follow each year. Here are some of the common traditions
associated with Thanksgiving Day.

11. Travel
• One of the best things about Thanksgiving is spending time
with family. Many people live far from family members and
travel long distances by car, train, or plane to be with them.
Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year!

12. The Feast
• Traditional foods are a large part of
Thanksgiving celebrations. Many
families include the entire family in
the food preparation. Traditional
foods include turkey, stuffing,
gravy, sweet potatoes, cornbread,
mashed potatoes, and cranberry
sauce. Many people serve pie for
dessert at the end of the meal.
Popular pie flavors are pumpkin,
pecan, sweet potato, and apple.

13. The Wishbone
• Some families include breaking the turkey's wishbone as part
of their celebration. The wishbone is found attached to the
breast meat in the turkey's chest. After the meat has been
removed and the wishbone has had a chance to become dry,
two people each take one end of the bone, make a wish, and
pull. Whoever ends up with the larger part of the bone gets
their wish!

14. The Turkey Pardon
• Each year at Thanksgiving, the President of the United States
receives a gift of a live turkey. At a White House ceremony, the
president traditionally "pardons" the National Thanksgiving
Turkey, allowing it to live out the rest of their lives on a farm.

15. Helping Others
• Many generous folks use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to
help the less fortunate. Some people volunteer to serve food at
homeless shelters on Thanksgiving Day and others donate to
shelters or participate in canned food drives.

16. Thanksgiving and Television
• Television also plays a part in Thanksgiving celebrations.
People began to associate Thanksgiving with the beginning of
the Christmas shopping season. In order to attract customers,
department stores like Macy's sponsored elaborate parades
like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade .Many families watch
it on TV. The parade includes marching bands, floats, songs
and performances from Broadway musicals, and giant helium-
filled balloons! People may also enjoy televised football
games.

17. After the Meal
• After the feast families often do additional activities. Some like
to take walks after eating such a large meal. Some people take
naps. Others sit down together to play board or card games
together.

18. “Black Friday”
• Black Friday refers to the day just after Thanksgiving. Many
people begin their Christmas shopping on this day. This is
one of the busiest days in shopping malls, and some stores
open very early in the morning with attractive sales and
discounts. It is called “Black Friday” because it is a terrible and
chaotic day.

19. Thanksgiving also
marks the
beginning of
Christmas!

20. How is Thanksgiving celebrated in Puerto
Rico?
• Even though Puerto Ricans were not involved in the original
festivities, we have made it part of our culture, giving it a
twist. Much of the holiday is spent the same way as in the
United States. Most businesses are closed; the family gets
together; there is a lot food; and people go shopping. So
what's the difference? The answer is what's for dinner and
the importance of the beginning of Christmas.

21. Traditional Puerto Rican
Thanksgiving meal
• A Puerto Rican-flavored Thanksgiving meal features, from
bottom clockwise: rice with pigeon beans (arroz con
gandules), fried plantains (tostones), turkey and for dessert,
pumpkin flan.

22. Let’s see if you
payed attention!

23. What is the traditional Thanksgiving food?
Turkey
Who were the first people to celebrate Thanksgiving?
The Pelgrims
Were did they come from?
They came from England
What was the name of the ship in wich they traveled?
Mayflower
What day is Thanksgiving celebated?
The fourth Thursday of November

24. True
or False
“Black Friday” refers to the day
just after Thanksgiving in
wich people go shopping.
True
People like watching The
Simpsons on Thanksgiving
Day.
False. People like watching
parades and football games.
Thanksgiving also marks the
beginning of summer.
False. Thanksgiving marks the
beginning of Chritmas.
In Puerto Rico we eat chiken
instead of turkey.
False. We also eat turkey in
Puerto Rico.
Many people use Thanksgiving
as an opportunity to help
others.
True