Thanksgiving

The month of November has the most important national holidays in the United States and is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. In 2023, it will be observed on November 23. Let us go over a brief history of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving history is shrouded in mystery and myths. What is reliably known is that the first “official” Thanksgiving in the US took place in 1621. It was celebrated by Pilgrim settlers from England, who established Plymouth Colony in 1. (which state?: ________________________) in 1620. Despite the poor food supplies and various diseases, they had survived through a severe winter. The following spring, Wampanoag Native Americans helped the colonists plant 2. (which crop?:_________________). When the first crop was gathered in the autumn, governor William Bradford proclaimed a huge feast and invited them to celebrate together.

American Thanksgiving was established as a national holiday in 1863 by President 3. ____________________. There is a story that this decision was taken because of Sarah Josepha Hale, a writer, and editor who had written to President Lincoln for 17 years, asking to proclaim this day as a holiday.

Traditionally, this is the day for families and friends to gather together around a holiday table for a special meal. Many families have a holiday tradition of praying together and sharing what they’re grateful for around the table. Thanksgiving food usually includes roast turkey, turkey stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato, yams, gravy, green beans, corn, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, apple pie, pecan pie, and pumpkin pie. Different people have variations on the Thanksgiving dinner, but generally, these foods are the most popular.

 

Answer Keys

    1.  Massachusetts

    2.  Corn

    3.  Abraham Lincoln

 

** Fill in the following blanks with proper idioms containing THANKSGIVING-RELATED WORDS.

    4.   Jeffrey’s physician told him to go “cold _______________” (meaning “to do something completely and suddenly”) on smoking to start a healthy life.

 

    5.  Inflation has “_________________ up” (meaning “to use, buy, or occupy all of something”) our wage increases.

 

    6.   Tim is going to participate in the “Turkey ______________” (meaning “a fun long-distance run”) this year.

 

    7.   My friends are vegetarians, so instead of turkey, they eat “______________” (meaning “the combination of the words “tofu” and “turkey”) on Thanksgiving.

 

    8.   I am waiting for “____________________ Friday” sales to get my husband a nice golf jacket.

 

    9.   Brian was presented with “___________________” (meaning of a large amount or supply of something) of job opportunities.

 

    10. After a big Thanksgiving feast, all his family fell into a “food _____________” (meaning a state of drowsiness after eating a large quantity of food).

 

Answer Keys

4. turkey

5. gobbled

6. trot

7. tofurkey

8. Black

9. cornucopia

10. coma

 

*source from The Old Farmer’s Almanac 2023 & https://preply.com/en/blog/english-words-and-phrases-for-thanksgiving/