Global View - Thanksgiving Dinner (C0324)

A:	So what are you doing for Thanksgiving?

B:	Not much really. It’s more of an American tradition, so back home we don’t really celebrate it. In fact, I am not even sure of what exactly is being celebrated!

A:	Well you know, it’s a time to get together with all your family and be thankful for everything!

B:	Yeah but, how did this holiday come to be?

A:	Well, the first settlers of Massachusetts arrived there because of religious persecution from England and King James. Once inthe New World, they befriended an native named Squanto, who taught them how to harvest food from the area such as corn.

B:	Interesting! I am amazed how big and delicious thanksgiving dinners are!

A:	Come to my house for Thanksgiving! We are having turkey, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes with gravy, and lots of stuffing!

B:	Count me in!

Key Vocabulary

Thanksgiving		a holiday
tradition		special way of doing things that is accepted by a
celebrate		hold a feast in memorial of
religious		exhibiting religion, faithful, devout
persecution		to exterminate, drive away, or subjugate a people because of their religion, race, or beliefs
befriend		to make friends or become friendly with
native		of indigenous origin
harvest		the gathering of crops
gravy		sauce for meat, potatoes
turkey		a large American bird similar to the chicken

Cranberry		a firm, sour, edible, red berry
Pilgrim		the English settlers of New England, who celebrated the "First Thanksgiving" with the Natives
Cider		a fermented beverage made from apple juice
Cornucopia		a hollow, horn-shaped wicker basket filled with various kinds of festive fruit and vegetables
Yam		specifically its orange-fleshed cultivars, often marketed as 'yams' in North America and as 'kumara' in New Zealand