ThanksgivingDayisthemosttrulyAmericanofthenationalHolidaysintheUnitedStatesandismostcloselyconnectedwiththeearliesthistoryofthecountry.In1620,thesettlers,orPilgrims,theysailedtoAmericaontheMayflower,seekingaplacewheretheycouldhavefreedomofworship.Afteratempestuoustwo-monthvoyagetheylandedatinicyNovember,whatisnowPlymouth,Massachusetts.Duringtheirfirstwinter,overhalfofthesettlersdiedofstarvationorepidemics.Thosewhosurvivedbegansowinginthefirstspring.Allsummerlongtheywaitedfortheharvestswithgreatanxiety,knowingthattheirlivesandthefutureexistenceofthecolonydependedonthecomingharvest.Finallythefieldsproducedayieldrichbeyondexpectations.AndthereforeitwasdecidedthatadayofthanksgivingtotheLordbefixed.Yearslater,PresidentoftheUnitedStatesproclaimedthefourthThursdayofNovemberasThanksgivingDayeveryyear.ThecelebrationofThanksgivingDayhasbeenobservedonthatdateuntiltoday.ThepatternoftheThanksgivingcelebrationhasneverchangedthroughtheyears.Thebigfamilydinnerisplannedmonthsahead.Onthedinnertable,peoplewillfindapples,oranges,chestnuts,walnutsandgrapes.Therewillbeplumpudding,mincepie,othervarietiesoffoodandcranberryjuiceandsquash.Thebestandmostattractiveamongthemareroastturkeyandpumpkinpie.TheyhavebeenthemosttraditionalandfavoritefoodonThanksgivingDaythroughouttheyears.Everyoneagreesthedinnermustbebuiltaroundroastturkeystuffedwithabreaddressingtoabsorbthetastyjuicesasitroasts.Butascookingvarieswithfamiliesandwiththeregionswhereonelives,itisnoteasytogetaconsensusontheprecisekindofstuffingfortheroyalbird.Thanksgivingtodayis,ineverysense,anationalannualholidayonwhichAmericansofallfaithsandbackgroundsjoinintoexpresstheirthanksfortheyear'sbountyandreverentlyaskforcontinuedblessings.感恩节是美国国定假日中最地道、最美国式的节日，而且它和早期美国历史最为密切相关。1620年，一些朝圣者（或称为清教徒）乘坐"五月花"号船去美国寻求宗教自由。他们在海上颠簸折腾了两个月之后，终于在酷寒的十一月里，在现在的马萨诸塞州的普里茅斯登陆。在第一个冬天，半数以上的移民都死于饥饿和传染病，活下来的人们在第一个春季开始播种。整个夏天他们都热切地盼望着丰收的到来，他们深知自己的生存以及殖民地的存在与否都将取决于即将到来的收成。后来，庄稼获得了意外的丰收，所以大家决定要选一个日子来感谢上帝的恩典。多年以后，美国总统宣布每年十一月的第四个星期四为感恩节。感恩节庆祝活动便定在这一天，直到如今。感恩节庆祝模式许多年来从未改变。丰盛的家宴早在几个月之前就开始着手准备。人们在餐桌上可以吃到苹果、桔子、栗子、胡桃和葡萄，还有葡萄干布丁、碎肉馅饼、各种其它食物以及红莓苔汁和鲜果汁，其中最妙和最吸引人的大菜是烤火鸡和番瓜馅饼，这些菜一直是感恩节中最富于传统意义和最受人喜爱的食品。人人都赞成感恩节大餐必需以烤火鸡为主菜。火鸡在烘烤时要以面包作填料以吸收从中流出来的美味汁液，但烹饪技艺常因家庭和地区的不同而各异，应用什幺填料也就很难求得一致。今天的感恩节是一个不折不扣的国定假日。在这一天，具有各种信仰和各种背景的美国人，共同为他们一年来所受到的上苍的恩典表示感谢，虔诚地祈求上帝继续赐福。
