1. Thanksgiving

2. Why we celebrate
Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States and Canada.
Originally, Thanksgiving was celebrated to give thanks to a plentiful harvest.
Today, it is a day to give thanks to our family and friends and all of the blessings in our lives.

3. History of Thanksgiving in the United States: Pilgrims
The first people to immigrate to the United States are called Pilgrims.
…and settled on the east coast of the United States, later called, New England.
In 1620, They came from England on a ship called the Mayflower…

4. History of Thanksgiving in the United States
However, when the Pilgrims first arrived to their new land, they didn´t have any food or shelter!
So they asked the Native Americans for help.

5. History of Thanksgiving in the United States
Because they knew how to use the land to their advantage, the Native Americans taught the Pilgrims how to farm. One year later, the Pilgrims had plenty of food and the knowledge of how to survive in their new land.

6. History of Thanksgiving in the United States
To give thanks to the Native Americans for helping them survive, the Pilgrims invited the Native Americans to share their harvest during a big feast.
The First Thanksgiving

7. Today, Thanksgiving is still celebrated with a feast.
Thanksgiving Today
Today, Thanksgiving is still celebrated with a feast.

8. Thanksgiving Today
It is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Thursday and Friday of that week are holidays. We need the long weekend to recover!

9. Thanksgiving Today
On Thanksgiving Day, Americans get together with their families and close friends to have a big dinner. I like Thanksgiving because it is not a religious holiday, and all Americans celebrate it.

10. Thanksgiving Food
Apart from giving thanks and spending the evening with family, food is the most important part of Thanksgiving. Turkey is almost always the main dish. My mom reserves the turkey from the grocery store one month in advance!

11. Thanksgiving Food
Stuffing and gravy are foods that we eat with the turkey.
Gravy is a sauce that we pour on top of the turkey and potatoes. It is the last thing to be made for the dinner because made from the juice that is left over from the turkey pan, and the turkey giblets (innards). To make gravy, you must wait until the turkey is finished cooking.
Stuffing can be made in lots of different ways. It is usally made with bread, onions, apples, and nuts. Meat can be added too. It is cooked in the oven, and then stuffed inside the turkey cavity for extra flavor.

12. Thanksgiving Food
We usually eat two types of potatoes on Thanksgiving.
Mashed potatoes are made from boiled white potatoes that are then mashed to make them soft. They taste excellent when they are mashed with cream or garlic! We put gravy on mashed potatoes.
Sweet potatoes are orange in color and have a very sweet flavor. We usually bake sweet potatoes in the oven with some oil and a little bit of salt. Delicious!

13. Thanksgiving Food
Cranberry sauce is also eaten with the turkey. It is made by boiling cranberries in sugar-water until they burst. Then the water is drained and the cranberries are mashed. You can also buy cranberry sauce in a can if you don´t feel like cooking.

14. Thanksgiving Food
Casseroles are very popular to eat on Thanksgiving. The word casserole refers to a food that is made in a ceramic or glass dish in the oven. There are many kinds of casseroles. A more popular Thanksgiving casserole is green bean casserole, made with green beans, onions and mushrooms.

15. Thanksgiving Food
For dessert, fruit or pumpkin pies are the most common. My favorites are lemon merengue pie or warm apple pie a la mode (with a scoop vanilla ice cream on the top)!

16. Thanksgiving Traditions
In my family, Thanksgiving is celebrated at my house.

17. Thanksgiving Traditions
My family shares the cooking responsiblities. We usually start cooking at around 11 a.m.

18. Thanksgiving Traditions
My aunts, uncles, cousins, grandma, and some family friends usually get together around 4 o´clock on Thanksgiving Day and have dinner around 5 o´clock.

19. Thanksgiving Traditions
We eat dinner so early because we have a lot to eat! After dinner, no one can move, so we just sit around, walk, drink, and maybe take a walk to burn off some food.

20. Black Friday
The Friday after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. It marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. It is called Black Friday because of the extreme amounts of people and traffic on the streets of big cities. Many stores have big sales on this day, and a lot of them open as early as 5am!
This is a long line of people waiting for the popular store, Target, to open early in the morning of Black Friday.