The Origin and Customs of Thanksgiving Day

The origin of Thanksgiving can be traced back to the beginning of American history. 1620, the famous Mayflower arrived in America with 102 Puritans who could not bear the persecution of English religion. In the winter at the turn of 1620 and 162 1, they encountered unimaginable difficulties and were hungry and cold. After winter passed, only 50 immigrants survived. At this time, the kind Indians brought necessities to the immigrants, and specially sent people to teach them how to hunt, fish and grow corn and pumpkins.

White immigrants have established close friendship with Indians. In June this year, there was a bumper corn harvest in 5438+065438+ 10. Immigrants held a rich Thanksgiving party to entertain Indians with roast turkey and tortillas. Indians brought all kinds of corn products, roast turkey, pumpkin pie, wild grapes and corn syrup, and people sang and danced. After that, every year at the end of 1 1 after corn harvest, white immigrants who settled here will hold a Thanksgiving party, and each family will roast turkey, make corn food and entertain Indians.

On the first Thanksgiving, Indians and immigrants gathered together. They fired a salute at dawn, marched into a room used as a church, expressed their sincere thanks to God, then lit a bonfire and held a grand banquet. On the second and third days, wrestling, running, singing and dancing were held. The first Thanksgiving was a great success. Many of these celebrations have been circulated for more than 300 years and have been preserved to this day.

At first, there was no fixed date for Thanksgiving, which was decided temporarily by the states. It was not until 1863 after the independence of the United States that President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday.

To commemorate Thanksgiving, a huge monument to the pioneers of immigration was built on Somerset Street in Plymouth. The ivory ancestor statue is 65,438+00 meters high, covered with shawls and finger domes, and describes the story of the first immigrants to Plymouth and the origin of Thanksgiving on four marble floating women. Today, corn products and turkey are still one of the indispensable foods to celebrate Thanksgiving.