Thanksgiving, The Origins.

Thanksgiving, a quintessentially American holiday, has deep historical roots that trace back to the early 17th century. This annual celebration, marked by feasting and expressions of gratitude, has evolved over centuries, blending elements of Native American and European traditions to become a cherished national holiday.

Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving: The origins of Thanksgiving can be linked to the Pilgrims, English Puritans who sailed on the Mayflower and established the Plymouth Colony in 1620. Facing a harsh winter, the Pilgrims were aided by the Wampanoag Native Americans, who taught them essential agricultural skills and shared a harvest feast, often considered the first Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Becomes a Tradition: While the early Thanksgivings were sporadic and lacked a fixed date, the sentiment of giving thanks continued. In 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday, establishing the fourth Thursday in November as the official day of celebration.

Culinary Traditions and Symbols: Thanksgiving is synonymous with a lavish feast, featuring a roast turkey as the centerpiece. Cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and stuffing are culinary staples, each carrying its own historical significance. The symbolic cornucopia, representing abundance and plenty, is also a common Thanksgiving motif.

Cultural Blending: Over the years, Thanksgiving has absorbed various cultural influences. Native American practices, such as the communal act of giving thanks for nature's bounty, have merged with European traditions to form the basis of the modern celebration.

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Questions:

1. Who were the Pilgrims, and why did they celebrate the first Thanksgiving?

2. What role did the Wampanoag Native Americans play in the early Thanksgiving celebrations?

3. When did Thanksgiving become an official national holiday in the United States?

4. How did President Abraham Lincoln contribute to the establishment of Thanksgiving?

5. What are some traditional culinary elements associated with Thanksgiving?

6. Name a typical holiday in your country, what is its origin?

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Vocabulary:

1. Quintessentially: Representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.

2. Sporadic: Occurring at irregular intervals or only in a few places; scattered or isolated.

3. Culinary: Related to the practice of cooking or the kitchen.

4. Abundance: A very large quantity of something.

5. Communal: Shared by all members of a community; for common use.

6. Influence: The capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something.

7. Merge: Combine or cause to combine to form a single entity.

8. Culmination: The highest or climactic point of something, especially as attained after a long time.

9. Feast: A large meal, typically a celebratory one.

10. Motif: A distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition.

Phrasal Verb:Bring about: To cause to happen or occur. Example: "The shared feast brought about a sense of unity among the diverse group."

American Idiom:Break bread: To share a meal, especially as a symbol of camaraderie. Example: "Thanksgiving is a time for friends and family to come together, break bread, and express gratitude."

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English Grammar Tip: Use past tenses when discussing historical events related to Thanksgiving. For example, "The Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving in 1621."

The simple past tense in English is used to express actions or events that happened at a specific point in the past and are no longer ongoing. Whether the action took place once, repeatedly, or over a period, the simple past is the tense to use when referring to completed actions in the past.

Basic Structure:

• For regular verbs, the simple past is formed by adding "-ed" to the base form of the verb (e.g., "walk" becomes "walked").
  

  • Example: She played the piano beautifully.

• Irregular verbs, however, have unique past tense forms that do not follow the regular "-ed" pattern.
  

  • Example: He ate dinner at 7 PM.

Key Characteristics:

1. Completed Actions: The simple past is used to describe actions that occurred and were completed in the past.
   

   • Example: They visited Paris last summer.

1. Time Specificity: It often includes time expressions that indicate when the action happened.
   

   • Example: I finished my homework an hour ago.

1. Repetition or Duration: It can describe repeated actions or actions that took place over a duration in the past.
   

   • Example: We used to play chess every Sunday.

Examples:

1. Single Action in the Past: She read a fascinating book yesterday.

2. Series of Completed Actions: They traveled to different countries during their vacation.

3. Habitual Actions in the Past: We went to the beach every summer when we were kids.

4. Interrupted Actions: The phone rang while I was cooking dinner.

Usage Tips:

1. Use the simple past when describing events or actions that have a clear starting and ending point in the past.
   

   • Example: He built a sandcastle on the beach.

1. Pay attention to irregular verbs and their unique past tense forms. These verbs don't follow the regular "-ed" pattern.
   

   • Example: She sang beautifully at the concert.

1. Be cautious with time expressions. Words like "yesterday," "last year," or "in 2005" are often indicators that the simple past is appropriate.
   

   • Example: They completed the project last month.

Understanding the simple past tense is crucial for expressing events, actions, or states that occurred and concluded in the past, providing a clear and concise way to narrate past experiences.

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Listening

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Homework Proposal:

1. Research and present a comparative analysis of Thanksgiving traditions in different regions of the United States.

2. Write an essay discussing the historical and cultural significance of Thanksgiving in modern America.

3. Create a visual timeline highlighting key events leading to the establishment of Thanksgiving as a national holiday.

4. Develop a presentation on the diverse culinary traditions associated with Thanksgiving, exploring regional variations.

5. Investigate and present the ways in which different cultures in the United States incorporate their unique practices into Thanksgiving celebrations.