Основные темы:
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English Schools
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My School and School Life
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English Home
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My Flat
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History of London
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The USA
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Our Motherland (Russia)
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Moscow
The last Thursday in November, as you know, is a holiday in America. People call this holiday Thanksgiving Day. It is perhaps the most important day in the American year. People go to church, and families come together for the day. They decorate their houses with autumn fruits and flowers and prepare traditional American food: roast turkey, potatoes and pumpkin. It’s rather like Christmas, but what are people celebrating? What are they giving thanks for?
Do you remember about the first colonists in New England?
In the year 1620, a ship named the Mayflower brought 102 English men, women and children to the rocky coast of Massachusetts. These Pilgrims—as they are usually known—came to came to the New World to start new life and to have no problems with the Church of England.
It was late in the year when the Pilgrims landed and founded the colony they called Plymouth. The winter was cold, and about half of the Pilgrims died. In the spring, with advice and help from the Indians, with whom they lived in peace, the Pilgrims planted corn and other crops and prepared as well as they could for the next winter. The work was difficult and full of danger.
In New England, the place where they lived, there were many wild birds. They were like chickens but much bigger. They were turkeys. In the autumn of 1621 the colonists had their first harvest. It was rather good. The colonists decided to have a special dinner. They wanted to thank God – to give him their thanks for many things. It was a difficult year, but the people still had food to eat. The colonists had a thanksgiving dinner for all the people. It lasted three days. For the whole three days they gave thanks for their good harvest and their happy year in a new country. Wild turkeys were on the table of this meal and since then the turkey has become a symbol of Thanksgiving Day.
Now Thanksgiving Day is a time for tradition and sharing. Even if people live far away from home, the family members gather for a reunion (воссоединение) at the house of an older relative. All give thanks together for the good things that they have. And they send and get greeting cards for the holiday.
If you want to learn more...
