The origin, significance and activities of Thanksgiving?

Origin:

The origin of Thanksgiving can be traced back to the beginning of American history. In 1620, the famous "Mayflower" ship arrived in America, carrying 102 Puritans who could not endure the religious persecution in Britain. In the winter between 1620 and 1621, they encountered unimaginable difficulties and were suffering from hunger and cold. After the winter, only about 50 immigrants survived. Based on the belief and custom that "all comers are guests", the Indians brought daily necessities to these immigrants and taught them survival methods such as hunting, fishing, and growing corn, pumpkins, etc.

With the help of the Indians, the new immigrants from Europe gradually became accustomed to the local way of survival. On the day of celebrating the harvest, the new European immigrants invited the Indians to thank God for their blessings. In the currently well-known version of Thanksgiving, it often only emphasizes the friendly relations between the two sides and the atmosphere of joyful celebration; however, many people point out that it is unfair to the Indians to only emphasize the happiness and friendship of Thanksgiving. Because it is easy for people to forget the subsequent history of exploitation and massacre of Indians. Many people believe that the first Thanksgiving in the United States was the day when Indians and new immigrants first gathered together to thank God for blessings. But, for many Indians, this is not the first time people have come together to give thanks to God. For some New England Indians, they have already celebrated Thanksgiving.

These Indians hold Thanksgiving celebrations six times a year, and they hold thanksgiving ceremonies according to different seasons. The thanksgiving ceremony held during the autumn harvest season is, for these Indians, their fifth thanksgiving celebration of the year. The "origin of Thanksgiving" that most people know is actually the day when new European immigrants and Indians thanked God together for the first time, not the so-called "America's first Thanksgiving". The first Thanksgiving celebrated by the new European immigrants and the Indians lasted for three days. The two sides also agreed to a peaceful and friendly agreement: the Indians were welcome to build their own homes for the new immigrants on one of the original Indian lands. village. This moment was originally the beginning of the gradual consolidation of friendship between the two parties, but unfortunately, the friendly relationship did not last long. Since they no longer need the assistance of the Indians as before, some new immigrants have gradually forgotten the difficulties they suffered at the beginning and the help they received; coupled with the continuous influx of more new immigrants, the distrust between both parties gradually increases , friction arose more and more; some new immigrants even did not tolerate the Indians' religious beliefs and tried to teach and convince the Indians that their beliefs were incorrect. Much friction and conflict led to what became known as King Philip's War.

-------------------------------------

The main meaning of Thanksgiving is to tell us about the beauty of human nature. Gratitude can be reflected in anything, greeting your parents, friends, and helping people in need. It is an expression of gratitude. Let us learn to be grateful, learn to cherish, learn to understand and tolerate, and most importantly, learn to love. That's what life truly gives us.

Thanksgiving is originally a Western holiday. The meaning of Thanksgiving for Chinese people is to be grateful for life, to be grateful for possessions, and to be grateful for all the good things.

-------------------------------------

After the Thanksgiving dinner, some families often play traditional games. On the first Thanksgiving, people held dancing, competitions and many other entertainment activities, some of which have been passed down to this day. There is a game called the Cranberry Competition, in which a large bowl filled with cranberries is placed on the ground, 4-10 contestants sit around, and each person is given a piece of needlework. At the beginning of the competition, they threaded their needles and threaded the cranberries one by one. When 3 minutes were up, whoever could string the longest would win the prize. As for the person who was the slowest, everyone jokingly gave him a worst prize.

There is also a corn game that is also very old. It is said that this was passed down to commemorate the five corns given to each immigrant when food was scarce. While gaming. People hid five corns in the house and asked everyone to find them separately. The five people who found the corns participated in the competition, while the others watched. At the beginning of the game, five people quickly peeled the corn kernels in a bowl. Whoever finished peeling the corn kernels first won the prize. Then people who did not participate in the competition gathered around the bowl and guessed how many corn kernels were in it. The one with the closest guess received the prize. A big bag of popcorn.

People’s favorite game is Pumpkin Race. The contestant uses a small spoon to push the pumpkin and run. The rule is that the pumpkin must not be touched with hands. The first to reach the finish line wins the prize. The smaller the spoons used in the game, the more interesting the game will be.

In addition to these activities, some families drive to the countryside for outings or take plane trips during the festival. Especially the place where immigrants settled back then - Plymouth Port is a place that tourists yearn for. There you can see a replica of the Mayflower ship and the Plymouth Stone, and spend a few hours in the Settlement Village. The immigrant village was built to resemble what it looked like back then. During the visit, there are specialized personnel dressed as religious disciples who chat with tourists, giving people an immersive feeling.