愛華網本文介紹：
The Facts about Thanksgiving感恩節(jié)的常識
Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner History火雞大餐的由來
Thanksgiving Activities & Traditions感恩節(jié)的活動和傳統(tǒng)
Get ready to learn the truth behind the Thanksgiving celebration. We'll talk turkey about what was really on the first Thanksgiving table, how Thanksgiving became a national holiday, and we'll spill the beans how the official Presidential pardoning of the turkey came to be a tradition.下面我們將講講和感恩節(jié)有關的故事，告訴你火雞是什么時候登上感恩節(jié)大餐的餐桌，感恩節(jié)如何變成法定假期，以及總統(tǒng)正式赦免火雞的傳統(tǒng)是怎么來的。
For even more great Thanksgiving ideas, check out our selection of Thanksgiving recipes, crafts, and kids' printables.我們還會提供更多關于感恩節(jié)的信息，配方、工藝、還有小冊子。
What is Thanksgiving?什么是感恩節(jié)呢？
Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada it is celebrated on the second Monday in October. In 2008, Thanksgiving is celebrated on November 26th in the US, and October 12th in Canada.各地過感恩節(jié)的日子不一樣，美國在11月的第四個周四，加拿大在10月的第二個周一，比如2008年，美國的感恩節(jié)在11月26日，加拿大在10月12日。
The First Thanksgiving第一個感恩節(jié)
When we think of Thanksgiving today, images of football, pumpkin pie, parades, and turkey dinner complete with cranberry sauce come to mind, as well as plans for a Black Friday shopping spree the following day.在今天我們一想到感恩節(jié)就會聯(lián)想起球賽、南瓜餅、游行、火雞大餐、以及餐后的甜點蔓越莓醬，也會聯(lián)想到在之后的“黑色星期五”里瘋狂購物的景象。
Of course none of these items were present back in 1621, when the Wampanoag people and the Pilgrims sat down together to give thanks for nature’s bounty. Although the celebrants at this particular meal didn’t even call it “Thanksgiving”, this particular harvest feast is the one after which we model our modern-day Thanksgiving celebrations.但這一切在1621年都不存在，那時印第安土著和剛踏上北美土地的英國清教徒們坐在一起，只為感激自然無私的賜予，那時他們就是吃頓飯，都沒有“感恩節(jié)大餐”的名字，這個名字是現(xiàn)代為了慶祝感恩節(jié)活動后取的。
People of both cultures had been giving thanks for the fall harvest and other gifts of nature for many centuries. It is interesting to note that the religious element, giving thanks to God, was not present at this particular celebration in 1621, even though the Pilgrims were devoutly religious. In fact, some early Pilgrim "thanksgiving days" were actually fasts rather than feasts. Imagine that!印第安土著和英國清教徒們文化、信仰不同，他們在一起慶祝是為了感謝大自然無私地賜予他們豐收和食物。有趣的是，盡管英國的清教徒們是很虔誠的信徒，但在1621年的感恩慶?；顒又兴麄冎皇歉兄x自然，而非感謝上帝他老人家。另外，早期的感恩節(jié)中，有的清教徒不僅沒有大吃一頓，相反是在齋節(jié)中度過的。
However, the Native Americans had their own religious customs and beliefs. As a result, during this "first" Thanksgiving, Pilgrims and Native Americans did not focus on what was different between them, but instead concentrated on what they all shared. The two groups of people worked side by side to hunt and prepare food as equals and friends. Their friendship and cooperation was yet another thing for which to be thankful. Other feasts such as this one took place throughout the New World, where settlers and Native Americans worked together and celebrated together as one.盡管印第安土著們有他們自己的宗教傳統(tǒng)和信仰，但在1621年那第一個感恩節(jié)上，無論是印第安土著還是英國清教徒，他們都沒有強調自己的文化傳統(tǒng)，著眼雙方的差異，相反他們關注共享的自然和大地，求同存異共同奮進。這兩撥人不分彼此，一起打獵，一起準備食物，處的就像朋友一樣。如同感激自然的賜予一樣，他們的友誼與合作也是值得贊美的，于是隨著拓荒者和印第安土著的逐步融合、共同勞作，這項感恩的傳統(tǒng)就在北美新大陸上逐步傳播開來了，每年大家都聚在一起感激自然的賜予和所有人親密無間的合作。
When we sit down to our Thanksgiving dinner, we honor a piece of early American history. The story of the Pilgrims and Native Americans serve as a good reminder for all of us to be thankful for what we have--no matter how much or how little.當我們坐在感恩節(jié)餐桌前的時候，我們感念和贊頌早期美洲拓荒史，印第安土著和英國清教徒之間的故事提醒著我們，無論我們擁有的是多還是少，我們都應該感激自然的賜予和朋友的友誼。
How Thanksgiving Became a Holiday感恩節(jié)怎么變成節(jié)日了呢？
After 1621, future Thanksgiving celebrations occurred at various times throughout the year. George Washington declared a feast of Thanksgiving in 1789, and presidents issued similar yearly proclamations after that. During the Civil War, poet Sarah Hale started a campaign to celebrate the holiday on the same day throughout the country.1621年后，感恩慶?；顒映掷m(xù)了好多年，但時間都不固定。1789年，華盛頓總統(tǒng)正式宣布感恩節(jié)大餐并慶祝這一節(jié)慶活動，此后的多年間總統(tǒng)們也發(fā)表類似的公告。在美國內戰(zhàn)期間，詩人Sarah Hale推動全國在同一天慶祝感恩節(jié)。
President Abraham Lincoln saw it as a way to unite the country, and he in 1863 he proclaimed a national Thanksgiving celebration on the last Thursday in November. It was changed from the last Thursday to the third Thursday by Franklin Roosevelt in 1939 as a way to lengthen the Christmas shopping holiday. In 1941, Roosevelt finally changed the date to the fourth Thursday in November, proclaiming it a Federal holiday in 1941.林肯總統(tǒng)認為可以通過慶祝感恩節(jié)來提高國家的凝聚力，于是他在1863年宣布11月的最后一個周四是法定的感恩節(jié)假日。在1939年，富蘭克林羅斯?？偨y(tǒng)把這個日子改為了11月的第三個周四，這延長了圣誕采購季，為拉動內需提供幫助。最終，在1941年羅斯?？偨y(tǒng)把感恩節(jié)定為11月的第四個周四，并發(fā)布公告，把感恩節(jié)定為聯(lián)邦的法定節(jié)假日。
Turkey: It's What's for Dinner火雞大餐
When the Wampanoag people and the Colonists sat down to their three-day feast to give thanks, they dined on lobster, fish packed in salt, dried and smoked meats, and freshly caught wild game. They did not eat corn on the cob (as Indian corn was only good for making corn meal, not eating whole) or eat pumpkin pie or cranberry sauce since sugar, yams, or sweet potatoes had not yet been introduced to the New England region.當印第安土著和英國清教徒們大宴三天，感恩自然的時候，他們的食物是龍蝦、腌咸魚、煙熏肉和一些新鮮野味，他們沒吃玉米棒子（那時印第安人種的玉米只能用來碾玉米粉，沒法整根兒吃），也沒吃南瓜餅、蔓越莓醬和芋頭，更沒吃甜土豆（那時還沒引入新大陸呢）。
Turkey is the big centerpiece of most Thanksgiving celebrations across the United States. Since records of exactly what was eaten at that first celebration in 1621 are fuzzy at best, wild turkey may or may not have even been eaten at the feast.對于如今全美大多數(shù)家庭的感恩節(jié)大餐來說，火雞絕對是重頭戲，但想知道在遙遠的1621年，感恩節(jié)大餐上到底吃沒吃火雞，實在是太難了。
The thing is, turkey was one of the staples of the settlers' diets at that time anyway, as turkeys were in great supply and were enjoyed for their eggs as well as their abundant meat. So, even if the feathered bird wasn't there at the first Thanksgiving, the turkey quickly became a fixture at future tables.無論如何，由于火雞個大肉多產蛋量大，它逐步成為了殖民者們的重要食物。所以，就算在1621年那第一個感恩節(jié)大餐上沒有火雞，它也很快成為餐桌上的常客了。
Today, many families opt instead for a roast goose (which was almost definitely present at the first feast), a ham (which was almost definitely not present), or the new "gourmet" tradition of turducken (a turkey stuffed with a duck that's stuffed with a chicken).現(xiàn)如今，很多家庭在制定感恩節(jié)菜譜的時候，不愿意選烤鵝（這幾乎肯定出現(xiàn)在了1621年那第一次感恩節(jié)大餐中），寧愿選火腿（這幾乎肯定沒出現(xiàn)過）或新的“美味傳統(tǒng)火雞”（火雞肚子里填滿雞鴨）。
Thanksgiving is one of the few feasts where even the vegetarians can go home full without much modification of the standard menu. Leave out the roast turkey and you still have sweet potatoes, stuffing, corn, cranberry sauce, apple and pumpkin pie, roast squash, brussels sprouts and a host of other seasonal sides and desserts to pig out on. Of course, you can always add Tofurkey (turkey-flavored tofu) or another meat substitute for the non-carnivores and turkey-pardoners of the group.和其他節(jié)日比起來，感恩節(jié)對于素食主義者來說是個福音，素食主義者們不需要對標準菜單做太多調整，就可以和家人共享大餐了，因為除了烤火雞外，還有甜土豆、玉米、蔓越莓醬、蘋果餅、南瓜餅、烤南瓜、甘藍、還有一大堆的應季小吃和餐后甜點，說的人口水都流出來的。當然，還有豆腐雞（火雞味兒的豆腐）或者其他的肉類替代品可以選擇，不吃肉的朋友們也有口福啦。
All the President's Turkeys總統(tǒng)的火雞
And just where did that US Presidential pardoning of the turkey tradition come from? Well, the tradition of officially pardoning a turkey dates back as far as Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, or George H. Bush, depending on whom you ask. Photos depict President Truman accepting a turkey at the White House, although it is not known whether the bird ended up on the table or at the farm after the cameras left the scene.從什么時候開始出現(xiàn)總統(tǒng)赦免火雞的傳統(tǒng)？這恐怕要追溯到杜魯門、肯尼迪、老布什了。杜魯門曾經在白宮門前接受過火雞，這還拍了照，但不知道照完像后那只火雞是落了某人的肚子還是回農場頤養(yǎng)天年了。
John F. Kennedy was presented with a turkey at Thanksgiving and decided to "just keep it" instead of serve it up. And when President Bush Senior was presented with a holiday turkey, he gave a lighthearted speech where he decided to officially pardon the turkey. Turkeys have been officially pardoned since that day.肯尼迪也在感恩節(jié)上獲贈過火雞，但他表示會“留著它”而不是吃了它。老布什也在感恩節(jié)上接受過火雞，他發(fā)表了一段輕松的演說，提到他決定正式赦免那只火雞，從那兒起火雞被正式赦免的傳統(tǒng)就開始了。
Thanksgiving will see many families gathered around the television watching football, cheerleading competitions, or Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade – or all three. The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade (originally called Macy's Christmas Parade) began in 1924 in New York City as a kickoff to the holiday shopping season. Since its first national broadcast in 1947, it has been a staple for TV audiences across the country.現(xiàn)在很多家庭在感恩節(jié)的時候會圍坐在電視前看橄欖球賽、或啦啦隊比賽、或者梅西感恩節(jié)大游行——也有的三個都看。梅西感恩節(jié)大游行（最初叫梅西圣誕游行）起源于1924年的紐約，這是為假期購物季造勢的活動，自從1947年開始在電視上進行全國直播，這個節(jié)目收到全國電視觀眾的強烈關注。
Other families take advantage of the four-day-weekend holiday to take a trip – either to visit family or take a vacation. Either way, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the most heavily trafficked days of the year by car or by plane.有的家庭喜歡利用這4天的假日出游，或者進行家族團聚，或者外出度假，無論如何，感恩節(jié)前的那個周三的交通狀況是最差的，無論是開車還是坐飛機，到處都人滿為患。
Long airport delays, higher fares, unpredictable weather conditions and other travel hassles have some families opting to go local and bridge the familial distance on less difficult days.由于密集出行導致的長時間的機場等待、高額票價、不可預知的天氣、旅途中令人不快的爭吵等，有的家庭最近在感恩節(jié)不愿意出遠門了，寧愿在近郊游玩，或者在不那么擁擠的日子進行家族聚會。
For families who stay close to home, opportunities to participate in community celebrations, as well as opportunities for volunteering, are abundant. Many do-gooders go civic and volunteer at local soup kitchens, shelters, orphanages, and other charities to lend some helping hands during the holiday.對于感恩節(jié)在家過的家庭來說，也可以選擇參加社區(qū)的慶?；顒踊蜻@公益活動，很多人自愿在這個節(jié)日去避難所、孤兒院或者其他慈善機構送溫暖、做好事。
Celebrating with Kids和孩子們一起慶祝感恩節(jié)
Ready? Set the Table!準備好了么？布置餐桌吧！
To prepare for the holiday, it's always fun to get the kids involved in menus and food preparation. Setting the table or creating centerpieces are fun ways for kids to get involved and help out. Instead of table linens at the children's table, tape a sheet of brown butcher paper or a roll of white paper to the table and set the table over it. Set out cups of crayons, chalk, markers, or stickers and encourage guests to decorate their own place settings. This can be a hit at the grownups' table, too!在節(jié)日的籌備期，讓孩子參與菜單和食物的準備總是充滿歡樂的，讓孩子們擺桌子或者創(chuàng)造裝飾方式是讓他們幫忙的好方法，讓他們把蠟筆、粉筆、標記和貼紙放到杯子里，鼓勵客人裝飾自己的位子，既可以布置孩子們的小飯桌也可以布置大人們的桌子，這會充滿驚喜。
Thanksgiving Poems and Performances感恩節(jié)的詩歌和表演
Children enjoy writing and performing puppet shows or Thanksgiving plays, and it's a great way to extend the holiday by talking about the themes and leading up to the big day. Memorizing and reciting poems is fun for the second grade and up, and songs are fun for kids of any age.孩子們喜歡寫作或表演與感恩節(jié)有關的木偶劇或戲劇，這些劇都緊扣節(jié)日主題也會把節(jié)日氣氛推向高潮。孩子們無論大小都喜歡唱歌，大點兒的孩子就背誦詩歌來紀念節(jié)日。
Tell the story of Thanksgiving through a book such as Thanksgiving Day, by the mother/daughter team of Anne and Lizzy Rockwell (1999, Harper Collins) In the story, the children put on a class play to reenact the first Thanksgiving meal shared by the Wampanoag people and the Pilgrims. It serves as a great jumping off point for discussions, crafts, games and even performances related to the holiday. During a lull in the eating and serving, children can get together and make up a poem or story, then recite it for the adults when they finish. Parents can present kids with "story starters" – pieces of paper with a word or phrase on each one – to set a theme, tone or idea to get the group started.在節(jié)日期間讀讀感恩節(jié)的故事書也不錯，安妮和利茲在1999年出過這么本書，在故事中，孩子們扮演第一餐感恩節(jié)餐中的印第安土著和清教徒，這引發(fā)一系列和感恩節(jié)有關的討論、游戲、表演。孩子們聚在一起歡宴、寫詩、創(chuàng)作故事，父母也可以參與，設定一個主題或者想法，讓孩子們進行討論。
Dinner Games晚餐游戲
Some families use the theme of the holiday as a way to encourage the family to share things for which they are thankful. Going around the table and having each guest state one thing they are thankful for can often lead to multiple rounds of expressions of thanks.有的家庭利用節(jié)日主題鼓勵家庭成員談談自己該感謝的人或事，也讓參加宴會的賓客分享值得自己感謝的人或事，這通常會引發(fā)多輪次的感謝。
This can also be turned into a game where each person writes what they are thankful for on a piece of paper, then put it in a hat. As each one is read aloud, everyone can guess who wrote it. Parents can also give thanks and bless their children at the Thanksgiving table. Placing their hands on each child's head, they can silently or aloud state something they appreciate about their child and add a blessing or wish for the child for the coming year.這也可以轉化為一個游戲，每個人把需要感謝的寫個紙條，放在一個帽子里，大家輪番抓紙條念出來，大家猜紙條是誰寫的。家長在感恩節(jié)上會感謝并囑咐孩子，把手放在孩子頭上，說出或冥想對孩子未來一年的祝愿。
For even more great ideas, check out our Thanksgiving crafts and printables as well as this list of great Thanksgiving books for kids of all ages to find more inspiration on celebrating this wonderful holiday with your family.關于其他更多關于感恩節(jié)的內容，可以查看我們的印刷品，我們也列出了很多感恩節(jié)圖書，供你們與家人共享這個美好的節(jié)日。
