La fête de Thanksgiving est un événement crucial de l’année pour la plupart des Nord-Américains. C’est une occasion de célébrer, partager un repas, s’amuser, donner et réfléchir. Cet article vous fournira des informations utiles pour mieux comprendre cette importante fête en anglais. Les mots essentiels sont mis en évidence en gras et leur traduction se trouve à la fin de l’article pour vous aider dans votre apprentissage.

Origins of Thanksgiving

Traditionally, the process of harvesting crops has always been a time of reflection and the celebration of Thanksgiving is no exception to this. Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States and Canada that is celebrated annually in November. The historical context around thanksgiving can be traced back to 1621, when English colonists from Plymouth, Massachusetts and Native Americans of the Wampanoag ethnic group shared a bountiful autumn harvest feast with one another. This is widely acknowledged as one of the first thanksgiving feasts in North America. This event was celebrated for a further two centuries and it wasn’t until 1863 during the Civil War that Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that national Thanksgiving celebrations should take place every year in November.

Thanksgiving celebrations for 2023 in the USA will take place on the 24th of November. Usually, friends and families gather together for an enormous celebratory feast and give thanks for the year’s blessings. Modern day festivities include, scrumptious dinners, actioned packed NFL(American Football) games, colourful parades, volunteering and charitable events. If you are interested in finding out more about the origins of thanksgiving and the story behind it, I recommend that you check out https://www.britannica.com/topic/Thanksgiving-Day and https://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving#thanksgiving-becomes-a-national-holiday for some additional background information.

Thanksgiving Cuisine

As you now know, families and friends gather together for a meal, but you may ask what is usually served at a typical Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving dinners are relatively traditional but due to the size of North America they do differ from region to region. A standard thanksgiving dinner includes roast turkey, the crown jewel, that typically occupies the centre of most plates and does not go amiss. Creamy mashed potatoes are a staple complimentary side that often accompany the turkey, you regularly find that mashed potatoes are best served with some gravy drizzled on top. Stuffing is another essential requisite at the table, American stuffing is usually made from pieces of bread and some vegetables, it is made in a baking dish and baked in the oven. For dessert, pies are often a go to choice, autumn flavours are usually encompassed in these meals. Pumkin pie is a party favourite and perfectly captures the Autumn feel to the celebrations, sweet potato pie is a great alternative and I must add that this is a personal favourite of mine. Other popular choices for dessert include, cheesecake and sweet gâteau. 

Feel like cooking up a storm in the kitchen? Here are some Thanksgiving recipes for meals and desserts that may be of interest. https://www.southernliving.com/food/best-thanksgiving-recipes? 

Thanksgiving Football

American football is a fundamental part of Thanksgiving celebrations. Every year, millions of Americans gather at stadiums or in front of their tv sets to watch annual Thanksgiving NFL games. 1934 saw the first NFL game played on Thanksgiving and this was the result of a marketing ploy that was implemented by the NFL. At the time, baseball was the most popular American sport and was renowned as America’s past time, the strategy behind playing NFL games on Thanksgiving was to make the two synonymous with one another and quite frankly it worked. At present, there are three games played every Thanksgiving and they draw millions of viewers. Often the viewership count of these games greatly exceeds that of many major events, last year 38.5 million people watched the game between the Dallas Cowboys vs Las Vegas Raiders, I think we can all agree that is impressive. There are only two teams that are guaranteed a game every Thanksgiving, one of them being the Dallas Cowboys and the other the Detroit Lions. 

If you are looking to read more about the history and tradition of American Football on Thanksgiving I suggest you visit https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/24/us/nfl-football-thanksgiving-history-cec for some additional information.

Thanksgiving Parades

There are plenty of annual parades held in numerous American cities during Thanksgiving season. These parades are often colourful and extravagant and they often symbolise the warmth that Thanksgiving represents. Macy Thanksgiving Parade in New York City is the most attended and viewed parade, since 1924 the parade has helped kickstart the holiday season in the USA. Each year more than 3.5 million people fill the streets and a further 50 million watch from home, the spectacle during the parade is remarkable, as numerous floats and balloons luminate the streets of New York with colour and joy. Other noteworthy parades include, Dunkin’ Donuts Thanksgiving Parade which is held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. American Thanksgiving Parade held in Detroit, Michigan. H-E-B Parade held in Houston, Texas, and The Chicago Thanksgiving Parade held in Chicago, Illinois. If you would like to learn more about these parades and possibly attend in the future, click on the following link https://www.way.com/blog/thanksgiving-day-parades-in-the-us/.

Thanksgiving volunteering and Charity

Most people would agree that giving and volunteering should be a yearlong effort and not something that is done on occasion, nonetheless, Thanksgiving season offers people the perfect opportunity to engage in wholesome activities that help make a difference in society and bridge the gap between communities. It’s always a good idea to devote some time to a good cause, so if you are in the States during Thanksgiving here is a list of some worthwhile activities you can participate in https://www.purewow.com/family/where-to-volunteer-on-thanksgiving?utm_source=link_copy&utm_medium=referral

Thanksgiving a time of reflection

A midst the boisterous celebrations and extravagant meals, Thanksgiving serves as a time of reflection. It is a time where people are able to pause, think, and reflect on the past year and look forward to the year ahead. Often, these actions bring about feelings of gratitude and appreciation for the blessings that life has to offer, and this is a major reason why this holiday is celebrated by many.

Traduction des mots surlignés

Pour découvrir toutes les informations et nos formations consultez cette page.