Thanksgiving is celebrated every year on November 22nd. Please tell me the origin of Thanksgiving in detail!

Overview of Thanksgiving

The fourth Thursday in November is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is an ancient holiday created by the American people. It is also a holiday for American families to get together. Therefore, Americans always feel cordial when mentioning Thanksgiving.

The most authentic and American holiday among American national holidays, it is most closely related to early American history.

In 1620, some pilgrims took the "Mayflower" ship to the United States to seek religious freedom. After two months at sea, they finally landed in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in a bitterly cold November.

In the first winter, more than half of the immigrants died of hunger and infectious diseases. Those who survived began to sow seeds in the first spring, that is, in 1621. Throughout the summer (summer) they were eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the harvest. They knew that their own survival and the existence of the colony would depend on the upcoming harvest. Finally, the crops got an unexpected bumper harvest. In order to thank God for the bumper harvest, a three-day carnival was held. From then on, this custom continued and gradually became popular all over the world. In 1863, President Lincoln declared the fourth Thursday of November each year as Thanksgiving Day. The Thanksgiving celebration has been held on this day until now. At that time, every family will be reunited and the whole country will celebrate together. The grand and enthusiastic scene is no less than that of the Chinese Spring Festival.

The Thanksgiving celebration pattern has not changed for many years. Preparations for the sumptuous family dinner began months ago. At the table one can find apples, oranges, chestnuts, walnuts, and grapes, as well as plum puddings, mince pies, various other foods, and cranberry moss and fresh juices, the most wonderful and attractive of which are Roast turkey and pumpkin pie have always been the most traditional and favorite Thanksgiving foods.

Everyone agrees that roast turkey must be the main course of the Thanksgiving dinner. Bread is used as stuffing when the turkey is roasted to absorb the delicious juices flowing out of it. However, cooking techniques often vary from family to family and region to region, so it is difficult to agree on what kind of stuffing to use.

The origin of Thanksgiving

The origin of Thanksgiving is related to the religious disputes in British Christianity. From about the end of the 16th century to the 17th century AD, the British Puritans launched a fierce religious reform movement, announcing their separation from the state religion, establishing a separate church, and advocating the elimination of the remaining influence within the Christian Anglican Church. However, in the middle of the 17th century, the Royalist Parliament passed the "Law of Observance of the State Religion", and the Puritans began to be brutally persecuted by the government and church forces. Arrests, torture, and religious trials threatened the Puritans at every moment. Forced with no choice, they had no choice but to move to the Netherlands for refuge. However, it is difficult to live under someone else's roof. In the Netherlands, the Puritans not only failed to escape religious persecution, but also suffered from the pain and torture caused by the war. What makes them even more unbearable is that in a foreign country, the children cannot receive "British education", and their feelings for their homeland are getting weaker day by day. In order to completely escape the clutches of religious persecution and preserve the language of the motherland for the next generation and tradition, they once again thought of the Great Migration.

The world is so vast, where is the destination of these fallen people? After much thought, they set their sights on America, which Columbus discovered more than 100 years ago. This "New World" is vast and rich in products, and there are still many places where there is no king. There is no parliament, no executioner, and undeveloped virgin land. "The sea is as wide as the fish can leap, and the sky is as high as the sky is. "Only in such a place can they live easily, freely believe in and spread their favorite religion, and carve out a paradise on earth for the Puritans.

So the famous Puritan leader Bray DeFeo gathered 102 companions, and in September 1620, they boarded the Mayflower, a 180-ton, 90-foot-long wooden sailing ship, and embarked on a Columbus-style adventure voyage. , this ship with a romantic name is too small. Due to the situation, they "choose" the worst time of the year to cross the ocean. However, with a beautiful vision for the future, in order to regain what they have lost. Rights and freedom, these troubled people are desperate.

The sea is rough and the waves are high, and the Mayflower is like a leaf in the storm, drifting forward with difficulty, almost. There was always the risk of a shipwreck or loss of life, but with everyone's joint efforts, the ship did not encounter any damage and arrived at Cape Cod on the North American continent on November 21 after sailing for 66 days. Today, the Mayflower continued along the coastline after taking a short rest. Due to headwinds and jet lag, it failed to reach its intended destination of Jamestown, Virginia. Instead, it arrived after Christmas. On the first day of the expedition, they were sent to New England. Interestingly, only one of the explorers died during the journey. There were no more than 102 babies arriving in the Americas. The immigrants were all devout believers, and they all made the sign of the cross and sincerely thanked God for his care.

Now, what appeared in front of them was a completely unfamiliar land, with a winding coastline that seemed silent and desolate. Therefore, within about a month, the immigrants did not dare to dock rashly and still made the boat their home. During this time, they sent out reconnaissance parties in small boats to search for settlements along Cape Cod Bay. One day, while everyone was waiting anxiously, the reconnaissance team returned and reported that they had discovered a real "paradise" suitable for immigrants to live. "Paradise" is today's Plymouth Harbor, which is a natural harbor, very suitable for the Mayflower to berth. There is an excellent fishing ground near the port, which can provide a large amount of seafood. Not far away, there are rolling hills, like a natural barrier, surrounding this land. In the bright sunshine, the frozen creek reflects the crystal luster and can provide ample fresh water for the immigrants. The cultivated fertile farmland is neatly arranged one by one. In addition, they also saw a house that, although dilapidated, was enough to shelter them from wind and rain and help them survive the harsh winter... Everything seemed good, and it couldn't be better. The only thing that confused them was that in this land with relics of human life everywhere, there was not a single human figure or even a wisp of smoke. It looked so desolate, as if it had been prepared for them in advance. Later I learned that this place turned out to be a quite prosperous Indian village. A few years ago, there was an epidemic of smallpox, and no one in the village was spared. This made it the best refuge for this group of foreign wanderers.

A few days later, the Mayflower crossed Cape Cod Bay and dropped its anchor chain in Plymouth Harbor. When the immigrants landed in small boats, they first landed on a large rock towering above the sea according to the ancient navigation tradition. The salutes on the Mayflower roared and the crowds roared, celebrating the beginning of a new life together. Later, this reef was called "Plymouth Rock" and became the historical witness of the first permanent colony in New England in America.

However, for these immigrants who longed for happiness, the first winter was not a good one. The biting cold wind blowing from the Atlantic Ocean screamed in the air like a devil, and the ice and snow in the sky beat mercilessly at the simple houses. In this land of ice and snow, the immigrants lacked necessary equipment and experience in living on this land. Under the heavy pressure of busy labor, many people collapsed from exhaustion and became sick. Poor diet and unbearable cold made more people collapse. The ensuing infectious diseases claimed many lives. One winter passed, and of the 102 immigrants who went through all kinds of difficulties and dangers to come to America, only 50 were left. People die almost every day, and one or more families hold funerals almost every day. The joy I felt when I first set foot on this land is gone. Everyone's heart is shrouded in an atmosphere of unprecedented despair. A dream, a beautiful dream that had just begun, could it be broken like this? Everyone is thinking.

Just when the immigrants were helpless and waiting for death, one morning in the spring of the next year, an Indian walked into the village of Plymouth. He introduced himself that he was sent by an Indian chief from a nearby village to check out the situation. This was the first guest the immigrants received after arriving in America. They told their guests about their origins and the endless sufferings they had endured. The Indians listened silently, with infinite pity and sympathy on their faces. Things took a turn for the better. A few days later, the Indian brought his chief Massasod into the immigrants' house. The chief was a generous and enthusiastic man. He extended a warm welcome to the immigrants and sent them many daily necessities as gifts. The most experienced and capable Indians were sent to teach the immigrants how to live on this land and teach them skills such as fishing, hunting, farming, and raising turkeys.

This year, with good weather and good weather, and with the guidance and help of the Indians, the immigrants had a bumper harvest, finally overcame the difficulties in life, and lived a stable and prosperous life. , in the fall of this year, Bradford, who had become the governor of Plymouth, issued the decision to hold a grand ceremony to thank God for his favor. This was the first Thanksgiving Day in history. Of course, he did not forget the real "God" who solved the problems for the immigrants - the warm, hospitable and wise Indians. He specially invited Massassod and his Indians to come and participate in the festival celebrations.

The Indians readily accepted the invitation and sent five deer as gifts in advance. One day at the end of November, the immigrants held a feast. The table was filled with game brought from the mountains and forests and delicacies made with homegrown corn, pumpkins, winter squash, turkeys, etc. The celebration lasted for three days. During the day, the guests and hosts feasted together and talked about their friendship. In the evening, a blazing fire was lit on the grass. In the cool autumn wind, the Indian boys danced, sang, wrestled and shot arrows with the young people of Plymouth Colony. The atmosphere was very lively.

Today, in the minds of Americans, Thanksgiving is a more important holiday than Christmas. First of all, it is a four-day holiday, which is enough for people to revel and celebrate. Secondly, it is also a traditional day for family reunions. During Thanksgiving, family members living in other places rush home to celebrate the holiday, which has become a national custom. In addition, the most important meal of the year for Americans is the Thanksgiving dinner. In the United States, a country with a fast pace of life and fierce competition, the daily diet is extremely simple. The popular world of fast food in the United States is a good illustration.

But on Thanksgiving night, every household holds a feast, and the abundance of items is staggering. On the holiday table, from the president to the common people, turkey and pumpkin pie are must-haves. These two "treasures" reflect the sentiments of the American people in recalling the pioneering difficulties of their ancestors and commemorating the first Thanksgiving. Therefore, Thanksgiving is also called "Turkey Day".

Although Thanksgiving is a day for family reunions, thousands of people still take their spare time to visit Plymouth Harbor every year during the holiday and relive the history of the United States. Today, not only Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, Canadians also regard it as a regular holiday.

This may be because there are many descendants of British immigrants living in this vast land of Canada!