爱华网本文介绍：
The Facts about Thanksgiving感恩节的常识
Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner History火鸡大餐的由来
Thanksgiving Activities & Traditions感恩节的活动和传统
Get ready to learn the truth behind the Thanksgiving celebration. We'll talk turkey about what was really on the first Thanksgiving table, how Thanksgiving became a national holiday, and we'll spill the beans how the official Presidential pardoning of the turkey came to be a tradition.下面我们将讲讲和感恩节有关的故事，告诉你火鸡是什么时候登上感恩节大餐的餐桌，感恩节如何变成法定假期，以及总统正式赦免火鸡的传统是怎么来的。
For even more great Thanksgiving ideas, check out our selection of Thanksgiving recipes, crafts, and kids' printables.我们还会提供更多关于感恩节的信息，配方、工艺、还有小册子。
What is Thanksgiving?什么是感恩节呢？
Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada it is celebrated on the second Monday in October. In 2008, Thanksgiving is celebrated on November 26th in the US, and October 12th in Canada.各地过感恩节的日子不一样，美国在11月的第四个周四，加拿大在10月的第二个周一，比如2008年，美国的感恩节在11月26日，加拿大在10月12日。
The First Thanksgiving第一个感恩节
When we think of Thanksgiving today, images of football, pumpkin pie, parades, and turkey dinner complete with cranberry sauce come to mind, as well as plans for a Black Friday shopping spree the following day.在今天我们一想到感恩节就会联想起球赛、南瓜饼、游行、火鸡大餐、以及餐后的甜点蔓越莓酱，也会联想到在之后的“黑色星期五”里疯狂购物的景象。
Of course none of these items were present back in 1621, when the Wampanoag people and the Pilgrims sat down together to give thanks for nature’s bounty. Although the celebrants at this particular meal didn’t even call it “Thanksgiving”, this particular harvest feast is the one after which we model our modern-day Thanksgiving celebrations.但这一切在1621年都不存在，那时印第安土著和刚踏上北美土地的英国清教徒们坐在一起，只为感激自然无私的赐予，那时他们就是吃顿饭，都没有“感恩节大餐”的名字，这个名字是现代为了庆祝感恩节活动后取的。
People of both cultures had been giving thanks for the fall harvest and other gifts of nature for many centuries. It is interesting to note that the religious element, giving thanks to God, was not present at this particular celebration in 1621, even though the Pilgrims were devoutly religious. In fact, some early Pilgrim "thanksgiving days" were actually fasts rather than feasts. Imagine that!印第安土著和英国清教徒们文化、信仰不同，他们在一起庆祝是为了感谢大自然无私地赐予他们丰收和食物。有趣的是，尽管英国的清教徒们是很虔诚的信徒，但在1621年的感恩庆祝活动中他们只是感谢自然，而非感谢上帝他老人家。另外，早期的感恩节中，有的清教徒不仅没有大吃一顿，相反是在斋节中度过的。
However, the Native Americans had their own religious customs and beliefs. As a result, during this "first" Thanksgiving, Pilgrims and Native Americans did not focus on what was different between them, but instead concentrated on what they all shared. The two groups of people worked side by side to hunt and prepare food as equals and friends. Their friendship and cooperation was yet another thing for which to be thankful. Other feasts such as this one took place throughout the New World, where settlers and Native Americans worked together and celebrated together as one.尽管印第安土著们有他们自己的宗教传统和信仰，但在1621年那第一个感恩节上，无论是印第安土著还是英国清教徒，他们都没有强调自己的文化传统，着眼双方的差异，相反他们关注共享的自然和大地，求同存异共同奋进。这两拨人不分彼此，一起打猎，一起准备食物，处的就像朋友一样。如同感激自然的赐予一样，他们的友谊与合作也是值得赞美的，于是随着拓荒者和印第安土著的逐步融合、共同劳作，这项感恩的传统就在北美新大陆上逐步传播开来了，每年大家都聚在一起感激自然的赐予和所有人亲密无间的合作。
When we sit down to our Thanksgiving dinner, we honor a piece of early American history. The story of the Pilgrims and Native Americans serve as a good reminder for all of us to be thankful for what we have--no matter how much or how little.当我们坐在感恩节餐桌前的时候，我们感念和赞颂早期美洲拓荒史，印第安土著和英国清教徒之间的故事提醒着我们，无论我们拥有的是多还是少，我们都应该感激自然的赐予和朋友的友谊。
How Thanksgiving Became a Holiday感恩节怎么变成节日了呢？
After 1621, future Thanksgiving celebrations occurred at various times throughout the year. George Washington declared a feast of Thanksgiving in 1789, and presidents issued similar yearly proclamations after that. During the Civil War, poet Sarah Hale started a campaign to celebrate the holiday on the same day throughout the country.1621年后，感恩庆祝活动持续了好多年，但时间都不固定。1789年，华盛顿总统正式宣布感恩节大餐并庆祝这一节庆活动，此后的多年间总统们也发表类似的公告。在美国内战期间，诗人Sarah Hale推动全国在同一天庆祝感恩节。
President Abraham Lincoln saw it as a way to unite the country, and he in 1863 he proclaimed a national Thanksgiving celebration on the last Thursday in November. It was changed from the last Thursday to the third Thursday by Franklin Roosevelt in 1939 as a way to lengthen the Christmas shopping holiday. In 1941, Roosevelt finally changed the date to the fourth Thursday in November, proclaiming it a Federal holiday in 1941.林肯总统认为可以通过庆祝感恩节来提高国家的凝聚力，于是他在1863年宣布11月的最后一个周四是法定的感恩节假日。在1939年，富兰克林罗斯福总统把这个日子改为了11月的第三个周四，这延长了圣诞采购季，为拉动内需提供帮助。最终，在1941年罗斯福总统把感恩节定为11月的第四个周四，并发布公告，把感恩节定为联邦的法定节假日。
Turkey: It's What's for Dinner火鸡大餐
When the Wampanoag people and the Colonists sat down to their three-day feast to give thanks, they dined on lobster, fish packed in salt, dried and smoked meats, and freshly caught wild game. They did not eat corn on the cob (as Indian corn was only good for making corn meal, not eating whole) or eat pumpkin pie or cranberry sauce since sugar, yams, or sweet potatoes had not yet been introduced to the New England region.当印第安土著和英国清教徒们大宴三天，感恩自然的时候，他们的食物是龙虾、腌咸鱼、烟熏肉和一些新鲜野味，他们没吃玉米棒子（那时印第安人种的玉米只能用来碾玉米粉，没法整根儿吃），也没吃南瓜饼、蔓越莓酱和芋头，更没吃甜土豆（那时还没引入新大陆呢）。
Turkey is the big centerpiece of most Thanksgiving celebrations across the United States. Since records of exactly what was eaten at that first celebration in 1621 are fuzzy at best, wild turkey may or may not have even been eaten at the feast.对于如今全美大多数家庭的感恩节大餐来说，火鸡绝对是重头戏，但想知道在遥远的1621年，感恩节大餐上到底吃没吃火鸡，实在是太难了。
The thing is, turkey was one of the staples of the settlers' diets at that time anyway, as turkeys were in great supply and were enjoyed for their eggs as well as their abundant meat. So, even if the feathered bird wasn't there at the first Thanksgiving, the turkey quickly became a fixture at future tables.无论如何，由于火鸡个大肉多产蛋量大，它逐步成为了殖民者们的重要食物。所以，就算在1621年那第一个感恩节大餐上没有火鸡，它也很快成为餐桌上的常客了。
Today, many families opt instead for a roast goose (which was almost definitely present at the first feast), a ham (which was almost definitely not present), or the new "gourmet" tradition of turducken (a turkey stuffed with a duck that's stuffed with a chicken).现如今，很多家庭在制定感恩节菜谱的时候，不愿意选烤鹅（这几乎肯定出现在了1621年那第一次感恩节大餐中），宁愿选火腿（这几乎肯定没出现过）或新的“美味传统火鸡”（火鸡肚子里填满鸡鸭）。
Thanksgiving is one of the few feasts where even the vegetarians can go home full without much modification of the standard menu. Leave out the roast turkey and you still have sweet potatoes, stuffing, corn, cranberry sauce, apple and pumpkin pie, roast squash, brussels sprouts and a host of other seasonal sides and desserts to pig out on. Of course, you can always add Tofurkey (turkey-flavored tofu) or another meat substitute for the non-carnivores and turkey-pardoners of the group.和其他节日比起来，感恩节对于素食主义者来说是个福音，素食主义者们不需要对标准菜单做太多调整，就可以和家人共享大餐了，因为除了烤火鸡外，还有甜土豆、玉米、蔓越莓酱、苹果饼、南瓜饼、烤南瓜、甘蓝、还有一大堆的应季小吃和餐后甜点，说的人口水都流出来的。当然，还有豆腐鸡（火鸡味儿的豆腐）或者其他的肉类替代品可以选择，不吃肉的朋友们也有口福啦。
All the President's Turkeys总统的火鸡
And just where did that US Presidential pardoning of the turkey tradition come from? Well, the tradition of officially pardoning a turkey dates back as far as Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, or George H. Bush, depending on whom you ask. Photos depict President Truman accepting a turkey at the White House, although it is not known whether the bird ended up on the table or at the farm after the cameras left the scene.从什么时候开始出现总统赦免火鸡的传统？这恐怕要追溯到杜鲁门、肯尼迪、老布什了。杜鲁门曾经在白宫门前接受过火鸡，这还拍了照，但不知道照完像后那只火鸡是落了某人的肚子还是回农场颐养天年了。
John F. Kennedy was presented with a turkey at Thanksgiving and decided to "just keep it" instead of serve it up. And when President Bush Senior was presented with a holiday turkey, he gave a lighthearted speech where he decided to officially pardon the turkey. Turkeys have been officially pardoned since that day.肯尼迪也在感恩节上获赠过火鸡，但他表示会“留着它”而不是吃了它。老布什也在感恩节上接受过火鸡，他发表了一段轻松的演说，提到他决定正式赦免那只火鸡，从那儿起火鸡被正式赦免的传统就开始了。
Thanksgiving will see many families gathered around the television watching football, cheerleading competitions, or Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade – or all three. The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade (originally called Macy's Christmas Parade) began in 1924 in New York City as a kickoff to the holiday shopping season. Since its first national broadcast in 1947, it has been a staple for TV audiences across the country.现在很多家庭在感恩节的时候会围坐在电视前看橄榄球赛、或啦啦队比赛、或者梅西感恩节大游行——也有的三个都看。梅西感恩节大游行（最初叫梅西圣诞游行）起源于1924年的纽约，这是为假期购物季造势的活动，自从1947年开始在电视上进行全国直播，这个节目收到全国电视观众的强烈关注。
Other families take advantage of the four-day-weekend holiday to take a trip – either to visit family or take a vacation. Either way, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the most heavily trafficked days of the year by car or by plane.有的家庭喜欢利用这4天的假日出游，或者进行家族团聚，或者外出度假，无论如何，感恩节前的那个周三的交通状况是最差的，无论是开车还是坐飞机，到处都人满为患。
Long airport delays, higher fares, unpredictable weather conditions and other travel hassles have some families opting to go local and bridge the familial distance on less difficult days.由于密集出行导致的长时间的机场等待、高额票价、不可预知的天气、旅途中令人不快的争吵等，有的家庭最近在感恩节不愿意出远门了，宁愿在近郊游玩，或者在不那么拥挤的日子进行家族聚会。
For families who stay close to home, opportunities to participate in community celebrations, as well as opportunities for volunteering, are abundant. Many do-gooders go civic and volunteer at local soup kitchens, shelters, orphanages, and other charities to lend some helping hands during the holiday.对于感恩节在家过的家庭来说，也可以选择参加社区的庆祝活动或这公益活动，很多人自愿在这个节日去避难所、孤儿院或者其他慈善机构送温暖、做好事。
Celebrating with Kids和孩子们一起庆祝感恩节
Ready? Set the Table!准备好了么？布置餐桌吧！
To prepare for the holiday, it's always fun to get the kids involved in menus and food preparation. Setting the table or creating centerpieces are fun ways for kids to get involved and help out. Instead of table linens at the children's table, tape a sheet of brown butcher paper or a roll of white paper to the table and set the table over it. Set out cups of crayons, chalk, markers, or stickers and encourage guests to decorate their own place settings. This can be a hit at the grownups' table, too!在节日的筹备期，让孩子参与菜单和食物的准备总是充满欢乐的，让孩子们摆桌子或者创造装饰方式是让他们帮忙的好方法，让他们把蜡笔、粉笔、标记和贴纸放到杯子里，鼓励客人装饰自己的位子，既可以布置孩子们的小饭桌也可以布置大人们的桌子，这会充满惊喜。
Thanksgiving Poems and Performances感恩节的诗歌和表演
Children enjoy writing and performing puppet shows or Thanksgiving plays, and it's a great way to extend the holiday by talking about the themes and leading up to the big day. Memorizing and reciting poems is fun for the second grade and up, and songs are fun for kids of any age.孩子们喜欢写作或表演与感恩节有关的木偶剧或戏剧，这些剧都紧扣节日主题也会把节日气氛推向高潮。孩子们无论大小都喜欢唱歌，大点儿的孩子就背诵诗歌来纪念节日。
Tell the story of Thanksgiving through a book such as Thanksgiving Day, by the mother/daughter team of Anne and Lizzy Rockwell (1999, Harper Collins) In the story, the children put on a class play to reenact the first Thanksgiving meal shared by the Wampanoag people and the Pilgrims. It serves as a great jumping off point for discussions, crafts, games and even performances related to the holiday. During a lull in the eating and serving, children can get together and make up a poem or story, then recite it for the adults when they finish. Parents can present kids with "story starters" – pieces of paper with a word or phrase on each one – to set a theme, tone or idea to get the group started.在节日期间读读感恩节的故事书也不错，安妮和利兹在1999年出过这么本书，在故事中，孩子们扮演第一餐感恩节餐中的印第安土著和清教徒，这引发一系列和感恩节有关的讨论、游戏、表演。孩子们聚在一起欢宴、写诗、创作故事，父母也可以参与，设定一个主题或者想法，让孩子们进行讨论。
Dinner Games晚餐游戏
Some families use the theme of the holiday as a way to encourage the family to share things for which they are thankful. Going around the table and having each guest state one thing they are thankful for can often lead to multiple rounds of expressions of thanks.有的家庭利用节日主题鼓励家庭成员谈谈自己该感谢的人或事，也让参加宴会的宾客分享值得自己感谢的人或事，这通常会引发多轮次的感谢。
This can also be turned into a game where each person writes what they are thankful for on a piece of paper, then put it in a hat. As each one is read aloud, everyone can guess who wrote it. Parents can also give thanks and bless their children at the Thanksgiving table. Placing their hands on each child's head, they can silently or aloud state something they appreciate about their child and add a blessing or wish for the child for the coming year.这也可以转化为一个游戏，每个人把需要感谢的写个纸条，放在一个帽子里，大家轮番抓纸条念出来，大家猜纸条是谁写的。家长在感恩节上会感谢并嘱咐孩子，把手放在孩子头上，说出或冥想对孩子未来一年的祝愿。
For even more great ideas, check out our Thanksgiving crafts and printables as well as this list of great Thanksgiving books for kids of all ages to find more inspiration on celebrating this wonderful holiday with your family.关于其他更多关于感恩节的内容，可以查看我们的印刷品，我们也列出了很多感恩节图书，供你们与家人共享这个美好的节日。
