Thanksgiving Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a traditional North American Holiday which is a form of harvest festival. Can you name Korea’s harvest festival? Chuseok, of course!

History of Thanksgiving When the first English people came to the “New World” (now called America) in 1620, they were called the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims arrived too late to plant crops. So they didn’t have much fresh food, and many people died of disease that winter.

History of Thanksgiving It is said that in the spring of 1621 the Iroquois Indians taught the Pilgrims how to grow corn. The Indians also taught them how to hunt turkeys and how to cook cranberries and different kinds of corn and squash(호박) dishes.

History of Thanksgiving Corn and squash were new foods for the Pilgrims. This is because they were native to the New World. Foods “native to the New World” means foods that grow naturally in America. The American Indians gave other “new” foods to the Pilgrims like potatoes and turnips.

The First Thanksgiving In the autumn of 1621, many crops of corn, beans and pumpkins were harvested. The Pilgrims were very thankful, so they planned a feast and invited the local Indian chief and 90 Indians. To this first Thanksgiving, the Indians brought other meat (like deer), and other food…

…they even brought popcorn!

The First Thanksgiving

Modern Thanksgiving Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Families and/or friends eat Thanksgiving dinner together in the evening. At this time you say all your thanks for good things that happened this year, and wishes for next year.

Thanksgiving dinner At thanksgiving dinner, people eat the foods that the Pilgrims ate at the First Thanksgiving. Cranberry sauce Turkey Mashed pumpkin

Thanksgiving Menu Mashed potatoes Turkey Stuffing Mashed turnip Creamed onions Cranberry sauce Buttered rolls Celery sticks Pumpkin pie Pumpkin bread

The Importance of Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a time for tradition and sharing. Even if they live far away, family members come to the house of an older relative. All give thanks together for the good things that they have.

The Fun of Thanksgiving Turkey, corn, pumpkins and cranberry sauce are symbols which represent the first Thanksgiving. Now all of these symbols are drawn on holiday decorations and greeting cards. The use of corn meant the survival of the Pilgrims. "Indian corn" as a table or door decoration represents the harvest and the fall season.