Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States and Canada. It has officially been a tradition in the United States since During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln decided that there should be a national day of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a popular national holiday and is one of the major holidays of the year. Together with Christmas and the New Year, Thanksgiving is a part of the holiday season.

The first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims, the people who first came to America from Europe. They wanted to give thanks to God for helping them get safely to America. It was celebrated in 1621 in Plymouth. The pilgrims had a feast after a successful harvest (урожай).

The first Thanksgiving feast lasted three days, with enough food for 13 Pilgrims and 90 Native Americans. The feast consisted of fish, turkey, duck, berries, pumpkin, beetroot, peas, onion, beans, corn, squash. Squanto, a Native American taught the Pilgrims how to catch eel ( вугор ) and grow corn and was a translator for them. The Native American leader gave food to the Pilgrims during the first winter because they didn’t have enough.

Quiz #1 1.Where is Thanksgiving celebrated? 2.Who celebrated the first Thanksgiving in America and why did they celebrate? 3.When is Thanksgiving?

The main food is Turkey. Some people even call Thanksgiving “Turkey Day.”

Other foods include: Cranberry sauce Mashed potatoes and gravy

Pumpkin pie Sweet potatoes Squash Corn All of these are native to America or were brought when the Europeans arrived.

1.What is the main food on Thanksgiving? 2.What is another name for Thanksgiving? 3.Name four other Thanksgiving foods. Quiz #2

Different presidents of the United States recognized Thanksgiving and gave thanks for different reasons. At home, it is a holiday tradition in many families to begin the Thanksgiving dinner by saying a prayer (молитва) before. Even in non-religious families, often everyone to says what they are thankful for.

The parade has parade floats with different themes, large balloons of cartoon characters and TV personalities, and high school marching bands. The float that usually ends the Macy's Parade is the Santa Claus float, the arrival of which is a sign of the beginning of the Christmas season. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is held every year in Manhattan. The parade has been in New York City since Many people go to the parade and others watch it on TV.

American football is an important part of Thanksgiving celebrations in the United States. Professional football games are held on Thanksgiving. The National Football League has played games on Thanksgiving every year since it was started.

The Detroit Lions have had a game every Thanksgiving Day since 1934, except from 1939–1944 (because of World War II). For many college football teams, the season ends on Thanksgiving weekend, and a team's final game is often against a rival ( суперник ).

1.Where do some people do before the eating? 2.What is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade ? 3.Who has football games on Thanksgiving day? Quiz #3