感恩節(jié)的課件

ThanksgivingDayIntroductionThanksgivingDay,legalholidayobservedannuallyintheUnitedStatesonthefourthThursdayofNovember.InCanada,ThanksgivingfallsonthesecondMondayinOctober.MostpeoplecelebrateThanksgivingbygatheringwithfamilyorfriendsforaholidayfeast.ThanksgivingwasfirstcelebratedbyPilgrimsandNativeAmericansincolonialNewEnglandintheearly17thcentury.Itsactualorigin,however,probablytracestoharvestfestivalsthathavebeentraditionalinmanypartsoftheworldsinceancienttimes(seeFestivalsandFeasts).TodayThanksgivingismainlyacelebrationofdomesticlife,centeredonthehomeandfamily.CustomsandsymbolsPublicobservancesofThanksgivingusuallyemphasizetheholiday’sconnectionwiththePilgrims.ThanksgivingpageantsandparadesoftenfeaturechildrendressedinPilgrimcostume,completewithbonnetsortallhats,darkclothes,andshoeswithlargesilver-coloredbuckles.ManyoftheimagescommonlyassociatedwithThanksgivingarederivedfrommucholdertraditionsofcelebratingtheautumnharvest.Forexample,thecornucopia(ahorn-shapedbasketoverflowingwithfruitsandvegetables)isatypicalemblemofThanksgivingabundancethatdatestoancientharvestfestivals.Manycommunitiesalsodecoratetheirchurcheswithfruits,flowers,andvegetablesatThanksgiving,muchasEuropeancommunitieshaveforcenturiesduringtheautumnharvestseason.Inkeepingwiththeideaofcelebratingaplentifulharvest,preparingandeatingalargemealisacentralpartofmostThanksgivingcelebrations.Thanksgivingmenususuallyincludeturkey,bread-crumbstuffing,cranberrysauce,squash,mashedpotatoes,sweetpotatoes,andpumpkinpie.ThesesimplefoodsrecalltherusticvirtuesofthePilgrims.Additionally,mostofthesefoodsarenativetoNorthAmerica,emphasizingthenaturalbountythatgreetedearlysettlersintheiradoptedhomeland.LatergroupsofimmigrantstoNorthAmericaoftenadaptedthetraditionalholidaymenutofittheirowntastes.Forexample,manyItalianAmericanThanksgivingmealsincludeItalianspecialties,suchaspastaandwine.ManyAmericansdigesttheirholidaymealwhilewatchingfootballgamesontelevision.Traditionally,twoNationalFootballLeague(NFL)teams,theDetroitLionsandtheDallasCowboys,hostgamesonThanksgivingDay.HighviewershipoftheseholidaygameshasmadefootballanAmericanThanksgivingtradition.OriginsLongbeforeEuropeanssettledinNorthAmerica,westernEuropeansobservedHarvestHomefestivalstocelebratethesuccessfulcompletionofgathering-intheseason’scrops.IntheBritishIsles,LammasDay(LoafMassDay),observedonAugust1,wasoftenheldtocelebrateagoodwheatharvest.Ifthewheatcropwasdisappointing,theholidaywasusuallycanceled.AnotherimportantprecursortothemodernThanksgivingholidaywasthecustomamongEnglishPuritans(seePuritanism)ofdesignatingspecialdaysofthanksgivingtoexpressgratitudeforGod’sblessings.Theseobservanceswerenotheldregularly;theyusuallytookplaceonlyintimesofcrisisorimmediatelyafteraperiodofmisfortunehadpassed.PuritanthanksgivingceremonieswereseriousreligiousoccasionsandboreonlyapassingresemblancetomodernThanksgivingcelebrations.FDRGivesThanksUnitedStatespresidentscustomarilyaddressthenationonThanksgivingDay,oftentakingtheopportunitytotietheideaofgivingthankstoissuesofnationalpolicy.Inthis1942ThanksgivingDayradioaddress,PresidentFranklinD.RooseveltralliessupportforU.S.troopswhoweretheninvolvedinWorldWarII(1939-1945).CourtesyofGordonSkeneSoundCollection.Allrightsreserved.ExpandAccordingtotradition,thefirstAmericanThanksgivingwascelebratedin1621bytheEnglishPilgrimswhohadfoundedthePlymouthColony,nowinthestateofMassachusetts.ThePilgrimsmarkedtheoccasionbyfeastingwiththeirNativeAmericanguests—membersoftheWampanoagtribe—whobroughtgiftsoffoodasagestureofgoodwill.AlthoughthiseventwasanimportantpartofAmericancolonialhistory,thereisnoevidencethatanyoftheparticipantsthoughtofthefeastasathanksgivingcelebration.Twoyearslater,duringaperiodofdrought,adayoffastingandprayerwaschangedtooneofthanksgivingbecauserainscameduringtheprayers.GraduallythecustomprevailedamongNewEnglanderstoannuallycelebrateThanksgivingaftertheharvest.Colonialgovernmentsand,later,stategovernmentstookupthePuritancustomofdesignatingthanksgivingdaystocommemoratevariouspublicevents.GraduallythetraditionofholdingannualthanksgivingholidaysspreadthroughoutNewEnglandandintootherstates.DuringtheAmericanRevolution(1775-1783)theContinentalCongressproclaimedanationaldayofthanksgivingfollowingtheAmericanvictoryattheBattleofSaratogain1777.U.S.PresidentGeorgeWashingtonproclaimedanotherdayofthanksgivingin1789inhonoroftheratificationoftheConstitutionoftheUnitedStates.In1817NewYorkStateadoptedThanksgivingDayasanannualcustom,andmanyotherstatessoondidthesame.MostofthestatecelebrationswereheldinNovember,butnotalwaysonthesameday.ThanksgivingFeastModernThanksgivingfeasts,suchastheoneshownhere,havechangedlittlesincePuritancolonistsfirstcelebratedtheholidayin1621.FamiliesandfriendsgatheronThanksgivingDaytogivethanksfortheirgoodfortuneandtofeastonsuchtraditionaldishesasturkey,stuffing,cranberrysauce,potatoes,andpumpkinpie.SpencerGrant/PhotoResearchers,Inc.

Inthemid-19thcenturySarahJosephaHale,editorofGodey’sLadiesBook,ledamovementtoestablishThanksgivingasanationalholiday.In1863,duringtheAmericanCivilWar(1861-1865),PresidentAbrahamLincolnproclaimedthelastThursdayinNovemberThanksgivingDayinordertobolstertheUnion’smorale.Afterthewar,CongressestablishedThanksgivingasanationalholiday,butwidespreadnationalobservancecaughtononlygradually.ManySouthernerssawthenewholidayasanattempttoimposeNortherncustomsonthem.However,inthelate19thcenturyThanksgiving’semphasisonhomeandfamilyappealedtomanypeoplethroughouttheUnitedStates.AsadistinctlyAmericanholiday,ThanksgivingwasalsoconsideredanintroductiontoAmericanvaluesforthemillionsofimmigrantsthenenteringthecountry.Duringthe20thcentury,asthepopulationoftheUnitedStatesbecameincreasinglyurban,newThanksgivingtraditionsemergedthatcateredtocitydwellers.ThedayafterThanksgivinggraduallybecameknownasthefirstdayoftheChristmasshoppingseason.Toattractcustomers,largeretailerssuchasMacy’sinNewYorkCityandGimbel’sinPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania,begantosponsorlavishparades.By1934theMacy’sparade,featuringrichlydecoratedfloatsandgiganticballoons,attractedmorethanonemillionspectatorsannually.Macy’sThanksgivingDayParadeFirstheldin1924,theannualparadehostedbyMacy’sdepartmentstorehasbecomeoneofthemostpopularcustomsofThanksgivingDaycelebrations.Theparade’strademarksareitshugeballoons,suchastheoneofcartooncharacterBartSimpsonshownhere.SantaClausmakesanappearanceattheparade’sfinale,signallingthebeginningoftheChristmasshoppingseason.JosephSohm/ChromosohmInc./Corbis

ThecustomofwatchingfootballgamesonThanksgivingDayalsoevolvedduringtheearlydecadesofthe20thcentury.Asfootballbecameincreasinglypopularinthe1920sand1930s,manypeoplebegantoenjoytheholidayatafootballstadium.TeamsintheNationalFootballLeagueeventuallyestablishedtraditionsofplayingnationallytelevisedgamesonThanksgivingafternoon.In1939U.S.PresidentFranklinRooseveltshiftedthedayofThanksgivingfromthelastThursdayinNovembertooneweekearlier.RetailmerchantshadpetitionedthepresidenttomakethechangetoallowforanextraweekofshoppingbetweenThanksgivingandChristmas.ManyAmericans