If you put together a ranking table for the American holidays, Christmas comes first and Thanksgiving comes second. This is the favorite holiday of Americans and is of great importance. Thanksgiving in America is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. The official name of the holiday is “ Thanksgiving day “. However, the Americans themselves often lovingly or ironically call him “ Turkey day “.
Everyone, probably, understands where the second name came from - we learned from American films that on this day, citizens of the United States are traditionally treated to baked turkey meat. And how did the official name of the holiday appear - ““? Who is grateful to whom and for what? What is the history of this holiday?
Thanksgiving in America: the story of the emergence of the holiday
Thanksgiving was first organized back in 1621. It was arranged by English colonists from the Plymouth colony. The fact is that many difficulties awaited the first pilgrim settlers in the new territory. People were poorly equipped, did not know the peculiarities of the local natural conditions and could not get enough food for themselves. As a result, many of the colonists (according to some sources, more than half of the colony) perished in the very first winter. The main reason was malnutrition and, as a consequence, the occurrence of various diseases. The cold also played a role. The Indians helped the white colonists to survive, teaching strangers to sow corn, beans, pumpkin, etc. From the Indians, the colonists learned to make maple syrup.
The colonists had prepared thoroughly for the second winter, but the winter promised to be difficult. Just before it began, a holiday was organized. According to some historical sources, the festival was held in honor of a good harvest. People were glad that they were able to prepare much better for the second winter, and therefore there would be no more death from hunger. They regarded this as the help of the Almighty and decided to thank him. And along with his first assistants - the Indians. The colonists invited the leader of an Indian tribe living in the neighborhood and several dozen of his fellow tribesmen to the holiday. The Indians did not come empty-handed, but with turkeys fried over a fire.
According to another version, the reserves were still not enough, and as winter approached, the spirit of the colonists began to noticeably drop. To cheer them up, the governor decided to throw a party. For the holiday, the colonists, along with the Indians, shot and roasted four turkeys. At the festival, the pilgrims said words of gratitude to their Indian friends and God. That is, the holiday was a kind of religious ritual.
Since then, it was held annually before the onset of winter, and turkeys were traditionally prepared on this day. Gradually, it became a national holiday in the United States, and in 1863 the president of the country recognized it as an official holiday and set the day for it - the last Thursday in November. Well, roasted turkey has become the main symbol of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving: traditions
Thanksgiving Day: holiday table. The turkey must be prepared. In addition to turkey, traditional Thanksgiving dishes are potatoes, cranberry sauce, and carrot or pumpkin pie. You can drink anything, but usually red wine is served. On this day, it is not a sin to overdo it a bit with the latter, which many Americans do.
Thanksgiving in America can be imagined without anything but turkey. By the way, in modern America, not everyone buys and cooks their own turkey. Many Americans are gifted frozen turkeys by generous employers. Well, those who are not lucky with the employer go to the store for a turkey.
Someone cares in advance and pre-orders for a pair of farm turkeys. Leading healthy image life ordering environmentally friendly turkeys from farms where hormonal feed is not used. Greedy people buy only turkey fillets (breast), lazy ones order ready-made turkey from a restaurant. Hunters hunt turkey on their own, although it is poaching. In a word, who is in what is much. But in any case, almost every American on Thanksgiving will definitely try a turkey. This raises the patriotic spirit of Americans, because they feel incredible unity: everyone eats turkey and says "God Save America!"
Thanksgiving is a family holiday. By tradition, it is customary to gather at the parent's table. Even if parents live a thousand kilometers away, Americans buy a plane ticket and go to visit the elderly. It is so accepted, and indeed - among the Americans mom always cooks the best turkey ... Half of the country before Thanksgiving is on the road, but worth it! Already, an American mother will try and carefully prepare for the reception of children, nephews, grandchildren and friends of children who are not able to dine with own parents... The first two or three days after the holiday, it is customary to talk with colleagues, friends and neighbors about how tasty mother's turkey was. And it is also customary to sincerely sympathize with those who, for whatever reason, did not get the turkey.
On Thanksgiving Day they go to church, and before the start of the meal they say a prayer of thanksgiving for the food. The oldest member of the family, usually a man, cuts the turkey. The first pieces are put to children, then according to seniority. This is not just a tradition to be neglected - it is an important ritual.
Thanksgiving Day: Celebration Traditions. there is interesting tradition: The country's president picks a turkey for dinner on Thanksgiving Day. The President and his wife (or children) are shown at a special ceremony two beautiful, specially fed birds - still alive. The President decides which of them will become a sacrifice, and which will be pardoned and returned to the farm in order to live as long as possible and die a natural death. This action is even broadcast on TV.
And on this day, good old and new films related to Thanksgiving are shown. There are also colorful street processions and parades, where participants wear costumes - cartoon and movie characters or 17th century colonists and Indians. The rest of the holiday is like a holiday - with festivities, fun, drinking and dancing.
Charity and Thanksgiving. Charity is thriving on the eve of this holiday, as Americans believe that every citizen of their country should receive their portion of turkey. The newspapers publish proposals for donations, for which a dinner for the homeless and the poor will be prepared. There are even tables for donations in the metro - you can put not only money on them, but also food. All this is given out to the poor on Thanksgiving, and dinners for the homeless are ordered with money.
Thanksgiving: How to Cook a Turkey
There are many ways to bake turkey, but it is usually made with a filling such as apples or oranges. Be sure to prepare a gravy sauce. Here is one of the original Thanksgiving apple turkey recipes.
Apple turkey: recipe
Ingredients:
- turkey
- bacon - about 300-400 g
- chopped onions - 4 cups
- Chopped celery stalks - 3 cups
- Chopped dried (or fresh) apples - 1 cup
- Ground nuts (like walnuts) - 6 cups
- bread crumbs - 0.5 kg
- chicken broth - 4 cups
- butter - 0.5 cups
- apple jelly - 1 half glass
- apple juice - 1 glass
- white balsamic vinegar - about 40 ml
- honey - a quarter cup
- flour - 2-4 tablespoons
- salt - 0.5 teaspoon for frosting plus to taste for turkey and gravy
- cumin and ground sage - 1-1.5 teaspoons each
Preparation of the filling:
Cut the bacon into strips and heat it in the oven in a container. The bacon should be crispy without burning. The fat is melted from the bacon. Crispy bacon must be removed and set aside. The fat should also be drained into a cup, leaving only a couple of spoons in the container. Put onion and celery in a bowl and simmer a little in the oven until golden brown. Remove the container, return the crispy bacon strips to it, add spices (caraway and sage to taste), chopped apples, nuts. Now you need to take half of the warm chicken broth (2 cups), dissolve the oil in it and pour into a bowl. Stir everything. Then you need to add a little breadcrumbs and knead until you get a homogeneous, sufficiently viscous mass. The filling is ready.
There will be quite a lot of it. Part of the filling (about 6-7 glasses) should be set aside for stuffing the turkey, and the rest of the filling should be baked in the oven in the same container. You need to bake on low heat, covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Then without foil - another 10-15 minutes. This pot with baked filling is then placed directly on the table next to the roasted turkey. The filling is delicious, it is added to the turkey right on the plate.
To make turkey frosting:
In one bowl you need to stir apple jelly, juice, honey, vinegar and salt. You can cook the icing in the oven or on the stove. It is important that the walls of the cookware are thick. The contents are first brought to a boil, then evaporated over low heat with periodic (or better - constant) stirring for about 15 minutes. A quarter cup of the resulting glaze is separated for subsequent preparation of the gravy. The rest is also put aside for now.
Cooking turkey:
Rinse the carcass, remove the neck and stomach. Then it must be dried with paper or cloth towels, both outside and inside (so that the meat remains juicy). The empty neck is filled with some of the filling, the rest of the filling is hammered into the turkey. Then the turkey is coated vegetable oil with salt to taste and put on the wire rack, breast side up. The neck opening, wing tips and nappies are wrapped with foil to prevent sticking. The breast and sides of the turkey are coated with cooked glaze, the bird is covered with foil and goes into the oven for about 2 hours.
After 2 hours, remove the turkey, remove the foil from the breast and thighs and coat the turkey with glaze again. Then cover it again with foil and bake until full readiness... Cooking time varies depending on the weight of the bird. On average, it is cooked for 3-4 hours over low heat. To determine readiness, you need to pierce the bird in several places with a toothpick - if a clear liquid is released, then the turkey is ready.
Making turkey gravy:
The fat left over from the bacon must be ground with flour until smooth. Then pour in the remaining chicken broth and the deferred part of the glaze, bring to a boil and turn off - the sauce is ready. Salt is added to taste. If the gravy is too thick, add a little more broth. If it turns out to be liquid, you need to dilute 3 tablespoons of flour in broth or water and pour a little into the boiling gravy, watching the degree of thickening. And so on until the desired consistency is obtained.
Serving:
The turkey is laid out on a flat dish, breast side up. The edges are decorated with fresh herbs. Next to it is a bowl with a separately baked filling and a sauce bowl with gravy. Thanksgiving apple turkey is served with mashed potatoes.
Thanksgiving is celebrated only in two countries - the USA and Canada, but the celebration is known all over the world. Moreover, Americans have a special attitude towards him: they love this holiday so much that the actions of many films and TV series filmed in Hollywood take place at least partially on the day when it is customary to thank God and loved ones for all the good.
What date is Thanksgiving
By the way, Americans and Canadians celebrate this celebration in different time... Thus, it is customary for US citizens to say "thank you" in November, namely on the fourth Thursday of the last autumn month, and among Canadians - on the second Monday in October.
Thus, in 2018, the long-awaited holiday will be celebrated in the United States on November 22, and in neighboring Canada on October 8.
history of the holiday
The origin of the holiday is associated with a group of English Protestants-Puritans, who in September 1620, fleeing religious persecution in their homeland, sailed on the Mayflower ship to the New World. After two months of sailing, their ship landed on the east coast of America (New England).
They descended on the territory of the present state of Massachusetts, where it was decided to set up the first camp. However, the New World was not merciful to the settlers: difficulties in finding food, the harsh local climate, unknown diseases - all this served to help worsen living conditions. More than half of the colonists fell seriously ill and died on the new continent in the first winter from hunger and poverty.
The surviving Puritans created the Plymouth Colony, the oldest English settlement in America, and little by little friendly relations with local aborigines. American Indians played a decisive role in their survival, gladly responded to the requests of new neighbors, helped to improve their life and manage their household.
Thanks to the Indians, the settlers learned to cultivate the land, grow pumpkins, sow beans and corn, and hunt wild turkeys. By the way, the strangers got the recipe for the famous maple syrup from the Indians.
An unexpectedly rich harvest in the fall of 1621 was a reward for the colonists' efforts. And since the first settlers were deeply religious Christians, they decided to give thanks to the Lord for his mercies. The Indians of the tribe were invited to the celebration, which helped them stay alive.
For a long time, Thanksgiving was an unofficial holiday in New England and was celebrated occasionally.
After the proclamation of US independence in 1776, the young country had to hastily acquire its own traditions and holidays. Thanksgiving in the United States became a public holiday in 1789 with the light hand of the first president, George Washington. He signed a decree to celebrate Thanksgiving on November 26th every year.
And yet, the holiday gained national recognition and love only in 1864, when on this day Abraham Lincoln called on the troops of the North and South to end hostilities and, having divided the common table and food, to come to a peaceful solution of the issue. A year later, the civil war came to an end, and it was decided to celebrate Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of every November. In 1941, this date was approved by law.
Thanksgiving Traditions
It is customary for US citizens to spend a holiday with relatives and closest friends. On this day, Americans usually gather for a family holiday dinner, which is held at the home of the oldest members of the family.
At the same time, dishes such as baked turkey in cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie are mandatory on the table, and sweet potatoes are not complete on Thanksgiving. According to historians, the first settlers ate the same at a feast with the Indians. The celebration also has its own traditional drink - apple cider.
By the way, before starting the meal, all family members, as a rule, thank God and each other for all the good things that have happened to them over the past year.
Another Thanksgiving tradition is the "pardoning" of the turkey. This ceremony is usually held on the White House lawn on the eve of the celebration. As usual, in addition to the President of the United States, there are two more turkeys on it: the main hero of the occasion is the "national turkey" and its understudy, the "vice turkey" (in case something happens to the first bird). During the ceremony, the American leader traditionally reads out a decree on pardoning the country's main turkey (her deputy, as a rule, is also left alive), and then the lucky woman is sent to the zoo, where she lives until she dies a natural death.
And on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States. From this day begins the festive season, which includes Christmas and continues until the New Year.
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Why is turkey eaten on Thanksgiving? Who is celebrating Thanksgiving and why?
11/23/2017. Thanksgiving Day. Salvation Church, Edgewood, WA
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History
Thanksgiving Day was originally a holiday of expressing gratitude and gratitude to God, just like family and friends for material well-being and kind attitude. In the traditional sense (inherent in agricultural cultures since ancient times), such a holiday at the end of autumn meant thanksgiving to heaven for a rich harvest and an abundance of fruits. Since then, in the USA and Canada, this holiday has largely lost its religious roots and has become a civil, generally accepted and national holiday.
This holiday is rooted in the depths of American history, to the very first settlers from England who arrived on the shores of America in 1620 on the now famous ship "Mayflower". They landed after an arduous voyage across a stormy ocean in what is now Massachusetts on a freezing November day and founded the Plymouth Colony.
More than half of the approximately one hundred arrivals could not survive the harsh winter and died from cold, hunger and disease. The survivors founded a colony, and in the spring, with the help of local Indians, primarily Squanto, who taught them what crops and how to grow on this inhospitable rocky soil, they began to cultivate the land. An unexpectedly rich harvest was a reward for their efforts. First governor of the colonists W. Bradford offered to spend a day of giving thanks to the Lord. On a holiday in the fall of 1621, the Pilgrim Fathers invited the leader and another 90 Indians of the tribe that helped them survive in unfamiliar conditions. This meal, shared with the Indians, was the first Thanksgiving celebration. Subsequently, the colonists celebrated the good harvest with occasional Thanksgiving festivals.
After gaining independence and the emergence of a united state of the United States, the first president of the country, George Washington, proposed celebrating Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday every year on November 26.
In 1864, after the end of the Civil War, A. Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November every year as Thanksgiving Day. In 1939, FD Roosevelt changed this date to the penultimate Thursday of November, but his declaration was not binding. This caused a rift among the states, with 23 states celebrating Thanksgiving on the penultimate Thursday and 22 on the last. The rest of the states (for example, Texas) declared both days to be holidays.
In 1941, the United States Congress passed a bill requiring Thanksgiving to be celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. On December 26, 1941, Roosevelt signed this bill, thereby establishing the scheme still in force today.
Celebration traditions
According to an old tradition, several generations of the same family gather in the elders' house for a festive dinner. Everyone says thanks for all the good things that happened in his life. Modern Americans eat on this day the same thing that their ancestors ate back in 1621 at their first Thanksgiving dinner.
Many dishes have become not only a tradition, but also a kind of symbols of the holiday: stuffed turkey with cranberry syrup and big sweet pumpkin pie... Bright young pumpkins, cobs of "Indian" corn, apples, oranges, chestnuts, nuts, dry leaves and bunches of grapes hanging from the dish like a cornucopia not only serve as a traditional table decoration, but also personify the abundance of autumn gifts of nature. Bouquets of golden, orange and red-brown chrysanthemums, complemented by twigs with berries, complete the feeling of abundance and generosity of nature, a real holiday of a rich harvest.
Each country has its own traditions and reasons for celebrating particularly important events in history. For Americans, Thanksgiving Day has become the embodiment of several ideas at once: thanks to God for what he gives to people, to his neighbor for his love, friendship and support, and to the ancestors who have come a long thorny path that formed the state as we see it to this day. ... Today we will find out the most interesting Facts and the traditions of celebrating Thanksgiving in 2018, which will help us become more erudite and loyal to foreign cultures.
When is Thanksgiving 2018
As this holiday developed, various confusions occurred that divided the entire American society into three camps: some Americans celebrated this holiday on the last Sunday of November, some on the last Saturday, and some just made both of these days holidays (see in 2018) ... But over time, all issues were resolved. It was decided to postpone the well-known and revered holiday to the fourth Thursday of November, and this is the date Americans are waiting for to start celebrating Thanksgiving Day. In this way, in 2018 this holiday falls on November 22 (on Thursday).
history of the holiday
It should be noted that Thanksgiving is one of the oldest holidays in American culture. For the first time it was noted back in 1641 by the colonists who sailed to the territory of America. A ship with new settlers landed on the shores of a still unexplored continent in late autumn. Disease and hunger that happened to the passengers of the ship severely crippled the health of some and claimed the lives of others. Therefore, the people who arrived on the new earth were exhausted and fell into despair at the sight of a completely uncivilized continent. The first winter in America was particularly harsh for them. Of the small number of arrivals, very few people remained who did not at all understand how to properly grow crops on the stony land of the new continent. Then the Indians came to their aid - the local population, who taught them how to properly cultivate various cultures, build houses and heal with local plants. 
The first Thanksgiving Day, which is traditionally celebrated at the end of autumn, when the whole harvest ripens and the bins are bursting with supplies, the locals celebrated together with the colonialists at the same table. Now the holiday has lost its former meaning. From now on, Thanksgiving is family celebration, which is designed to unite people of all generations for the sake of common memory and gratitude to each other for the care, love and respect provided.
Celebration traditions
Traditionally, this holiday is celebrated in the USA and Canada. According to tradition, the family gathers in full force to visit the senior representative of the clan, everyone exchanges gifts and dines with a festive turkey, crushed potatoes and pumpkin pie. Starting the next day in the United States, a period of sales and pre-Christmas turmoil begins, which continues until the New Year.
Celebrating Thanksgiving 2018 in the USA - video
See also: traditions of celebrating the city, date of the holiday.
Thanksgiving Day, one of the most popular public holidays in the USA and Canada, begins the series of autumn holidays on the American continent, ending with Christmas and New Year.
When is Thanksgiving 2016
Thanksgiving Day (Thanksgiving Day) in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday in October and has already passed this year. But in the United States, this holiday is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month, which in 2016 falls on November 24.
history of the holiday
For the first time Thanksgiving Day noted in 1621 by the English Puritan colonists from the Plymouth Colony, whose life on American soil was at first hard and hungry. Then the governor William BradfordIn order to raise the spirits of the colonists, he decided to arrange a holiday for them, which later became known as Thanksgiving Day. At the same time, the governor showed tolerance and invited the Indians from the tribes that lived in the neighborhood to celebrate him, who fed the colonists in the first hungry winter.
The purpose of the holiday organized by the Puritans was to thank God for all his favors. The first president of the country liked the idea of \u200b\u200bthe holiday so much George Washingtonthat since 1789 Thanksgiving has become a national celebration, celebrated to this day by all residents of the country, from Indians on reservations to the President of the United States.
Thanksgiving: traditions
One of the main traditions of the holiday is to go to church and thank God for all his mercies, and then gather the whole family for festive table... Therefore, on the eve of Thanksgiving Day, all of America gets on cars and planes: children go to visit their parents.
The festive table traditionally includes national American dishes, which, according to legend, were eaten by the first settlers. This is a stuffed roasted turkey with cranberry syrup, pumpkin pie, young cobs of "Indian" corn, apples, oranges, chestnuts, nuts and grapes. Tables are decorated with bright autumn leaves: these are symbols of autumn, gifts of nature, abundance, given by the creator.
In New York on this day, a grandiose parade takes place, which has been organized by the largest Macy's department store since 1927. At the parade, they carry huge inflatable toys depicting cartoon characters. The parade is broadcast live.
Also, on the eve of Thanksgiving and on the holiday itself, various charity events are held, for which Americans willingly donate money. Homeless people are fed at charity dinners, money and gifts.
Theatrical performances and processions in historical costumes, including Indian ones, take place throughout the country.
Pardon turkey
One of the most important attributes of Thanksgiving is the turkey, because, according to legend, at the first festive dinner, the colonists and their Indian saviors shot four such birds in a nearby forest, roasted and ate them at the festive table. Since then, turkeys have been specially fed for this holiday.
Since the end of the last century, on Thanksgiving Day, farmers began to send turkeys as gifts to American presidents, and they happily ate the donated birds at the festive table. But since the middle of the last century, a tradition has emerged to "have mercy" on turkeys donated to presidents. He was the first to do this in 1963 John F. Kennedythen Richard Nixonand then Ronald Reagan.
And his successor George W. Bush made this tradition official: since then, pardoning a turkey on Thanksgiving has become not a right, but an annual duty of every American president. The turkeys pardoned by the presidents then live in zoos until their death.
This year Barack Obama last time he pardoned the four turkeys presented to him as President of the United States, promising to do so in the future, but as a private person. And the newly elected American president Donald Trump has already congratulated Americans on Thanksgiving and called for unity in a country seriously divided by the past elections.
Thanksgiving Day 2016: congratulations in Russian and English
***
Thanksgiving
I sincerely wish
Laughter, joy, luck,
And let your eyes shine.
And let the world reign around
Harmony, luck,
Our table is generous and the feast is cheerful,
Let life become richer.
And it will be full of goodness,
Peace, light, caress,
I was surprised that she
Become a fairy tale!
***
Thanksgiving day
The year has turned its circle,
The seasons come and go.
The harvest all is gathered in
And chilly north winds blow.
Orchards have shared their treasures,
The fields, their yellow grain,
So open wide the doorway -
Thanksgiving comes again!
***
For the hay and the corn and the wheat that is reaped,
For the labor well done, and the barns that are heaped,
For the sun and the dew and the sweet honeycomb,
For the rose and the song and the harvest brought home -
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!
For the trade and the skill and the wealth in our land,
For the cunning and strength of the workingman's hand,
For the good that our artists and poets have taught,
For the friendship that hope and affection have brought -
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!
For the homes that with purest affection are blest,
For the season of plenty and well-deserved rest,
For our country extending from sea unto sea;
The land that is known as the "Land of the Free" -
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!
