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In1620,aboatfilledwithmorethanonehundredpeoplesailedacrosstheAtlanticOceantosettleintheNewWorld（新大陆）.ThisreligiousgrouphadbeguntoquestionthebeliefsoftheChurchofEnglandandtheywantedtoseparatefromit.ThePilgrimssettledinwhatisnowthestateofMassachusetts.TheirfirstwinterintheNewWorldwasdifficult.Theyhadarrivedtoolatetogrowmanycrops,andwithoutfreshfood,halfthecolonydiedfromdisease.ThefollowingspringtheIroquoisIndians（美国纽约州东北部易洛魁族印第安人）taughtthemhowtogrowcorn,anewfoodforthecolonists.Theyshowedthemothercropstogrowintheunfamiliarsoilandhowtohuntandfish.
Intheautumnof1621,bountifulcropsofcorn,barley（大麦）,beansandpumpkinswereharvested.Thecolonistshadmuchtobethankfulfor,soafeastwasplanned.TheyinvitedthelocalIndianchiefand90Indians.TheIndiansbroughtdeertoroastwiththeturkeysandotherwildgameofferedbythecolonists.ThecolonistshadlearnedhowtocookcranberriesanddifferentkindsofcornandsquashdishesfromtheIndians.TothisfirstThanksgiving,theIndianshadevenbroughtpopcorn.
Infollowingyears,manyoftheoriginalcolonistscelebratedtheautumnharvestwithafeastofthanks.
AftertheUnitedStatesbecameanindependentcountry,Congressrecommendedoneyearlydayofthanksgivingforthewholenationtocelebrate.GeorgeWashingtonsuggestedthedateNovember26asThanksgivingDay.Thenin1863,attheendofalongandbloodycivilwar,AbrahamLincolnaskedallAmericanstosetasidethelastThursdayinNovemberasadayofthanksgiving.
ThanksgivingfallsonthefourthThursdayofNovember,adifferentdateeveryyear.ThePresidentmustproclaimthatdateastheofficialcelebration.
Thanksgivingisatimefortraditionandsharing.Eveniftheylivefaraway,familymembersgatherforareunionatthehouseofanolderrelative.Allgivethankstogetherforthegoodthingsthattheyhave.
Inthisspiritofsharing,civicgroupsandcharitableorganizationsofferatraditionalmealtothoseinneed,particularlythehomeless.OnmosttablesthroughouttheUnitedStates,foodseatenatthefirstthanksgivinghavebecometraditional.
SymbolsofThanksgiving
Turkey,corn,pumpkinsandcranberrysauce（酸果曼沙司）aresymbolswhichrepresentthefirstThanksgiving.Nowallofthesesymbolsaredrawnonholidaydecorationsandgreetingcards.Theuseofcornmeantthesurvivalofthecolonies."Indiancorn"asatableordoordecorationrepresentstheharvestandthefallseason.
Sweet-sourcranberrysauce,orcranberryjelly,wasonthefirstThanksgivingtableandisstillservedtoday.Thecranberryisasmall,sourberry.Itgrowsinbogs（沼泽）,ormuddyareas,inMassachusettsandotherNewEnglandstates.TheIndiansusedthefruittotreatinfections.Theyusedthejuicetodyetheirrugsandblankets.Theytaughtthecolonistshowtocooktheberrieswithsweetener（甜味佐料）andwatertomakeasauce.TheIndianscalledit"ibimi"whichmeans"bitterberry."Whenthecolonistssawit,theynamedit"crane-berry"becausetheflowersoftheberrybentthestalkover,anditresembledthelong-neckedbirdcalledacrane.TheberriesarestillgrowninNewEngland.
In1988,aThanksgivingceremonyofadifferentkindtookplaceattheCathedralofSt.JohntheDivine.MorethanfourthousandpeoplegatheredonThanksgivingnight.AmongthemwereNativeAmericansrepresentingtribesfromalloverthecountryanddescendantsofpeoplewhoseancestorshadmigratedtotheNewWorld.
TheceremonywasapublicacknowledgmentoftheIndians’roleinthefirstThanksgiving350yearsago.UntilrecentlymostschoolchildrenbelievedthatthePilgrimscookedtheentireThanksgivingfeast,andofferedittotheIndians.Infact,thefeastwasplannedtothanktheIndiansforteachingthemhowtocookthosefoods.WithouttheIndians,thefirstsettlerswouldnothavesurvived.