VOICE ONE:
It is one of America’s most popular holidays. It is a day forexpressing thanks for the good things in life, especially family andfriends. I’m Mary Tillotson.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Steve Ember. The story of Thanksgiving is our reporttoday on the VOA Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.
((THEME))
VOICE ONE:
This Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. The writer O. Henry called itthe one holiday that is purely American. Thanksgiving is not areligious holiday. But it has spiritual meaning. Some Americansattend religious services on the day before Thanksgiving, or onThanksgiving morning. Others travel long distances to be with theirfamilies. They have a large dinner, which is the main part of thecelebration. For many Americans, Thanksgiving is the only time whenall members of a family gather. The holiday is a time of familyreunion.
VOICE TWO:
Thanksgiving is a celebration of home and family. But noteveryone can spend Thanksgiving with their family. For example, Joanand Sandy Horwitt moved to the state of Virginia from their home inthe Middle West more than twenty-five years ago.
They regretted not being able to celebrate Thanksgiving with alltheir family members. But soon they met other people who also wereseparated from their families. So the Horwitts began holding ayearly Thanksgiving dinner for what they called their “extendedfamily.” This included people in their community. All the guestsbring food to share for Thanksgiving dinner.
The group has grown over the years. Mister and Missus Horwitt nowhave to add small tables to their large one to make room for all theguests. At first, many of their friends brought their babies andyoung children. Now some of the first guests soon will begrandparents.
VOICE ONE:
Like many other Americans, Mister and Missus Horwitt and theirvisitors enjoy a long day of cooking, eating and talking. Thetraditional meal usually includes a turkey with a bread mixturecooked inside. Other traditional Thanksgiving foods served withturkey are sweet potatoes, cranberries and pumpkin pie. Stores sellmore food at Thanksgiving than at any other time of the year. Andmany people eat more food at Thanksgiving than at any other time ofthe year.
VOICE TWO:
Not everyone cooks a Thanksgiving turkey, however. Some familieslike other meats. And in recent years a number of American homeshave vegetarian Thanksgiving dinners. This means no meat will beserved.
Some people go to public eating places on Thanksgiving. A retiredhusband and wife in Washington, D.C do this each year. They meetfriends at a local restaurant for their holiday dinner. The womensay they enjoy the day especially because they do not have to cook.
VOICE ONE:
Thanksgiving also is a time when Americans share what they havewith people who do not have as much. All across America, thousandsof religious and service organizations provide Thanksgiving mealsfor old people, the homeless, and the poor. Some people spend partof the day helping to prepare and serve the meals. Everyoneexpresses thanks for what they have.
Here is some Thanksgiving music by American composer WilliamSchuman.
(MUSIC: “BE GLAD AMERICA”)
VOICE TWO:
Thanksgiving is celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday ofNovember. The month of November is autumn in the United States, theseason for harvesting crops. When the first European settlers inAmerica gathered their crops, they celebrated and gave thanks forthe food.
Tradition says Pilgrim settlers from England celebrated the firstThanksgiving in Sixteen-Twenty-One. There is evidence that settlersin other parts of America held earlier Thanksgiving celebrations.But the Pilgrims’ Thanksgiving story is the most popular.
VOICE ONE:
The Pilgrims were religious dissidents who fled oppression inEngland. They went first to the Netherlands. Then they left thatcountry to establish a colony in North America. The Pilgrims landedin Sixteen-Twenty in what later became known as Plymouth,Massachusetts.
Their voyage across the Atlantic Ocean was difficult. Their firstmonths in America were difficult, too. About one-hundred Pilgrimslanded just as autumn was turning to winter. During the cold monthsthat followed, about half of them died.
VOICE TWO:
When spring came, the pilgrims began to plant crops. A nativeAmerican Indian named Squanto helped them. When summer ended, thePilgrims had a good harvest of corn and barley. There was enoughfood to last through the winter.
The Pilgrims decided to hold a celebration to give thanks fortheir harvest. Writings from that time say Pilgrim leader WilliamBradford set a date late in the year. He invited members of a nearbyIndian tribe to take part.
VOICE ONE:
That Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days. There were manykinds of food to eat. The meal included wild birds such as ducks,geese and turkeys.
The Pilgrims did not celebrate Thanksgiving again until two yearslater. That celebration marked the end of a period of dry weatherthat had almost destroyed their crops. Historians believe thePilgrims held their second Thanksgiving in July.
As the American colonies grew, many towns and settlements heldThanksgiving or harvest celebrations. Yet it was not until abouttwo-hundred-fifty-years later that a national day for Thanksgivingwas declared. Here are the Paul Hillier singers with “ThanksgivingAnthem.”
(MUSIC)
VOICE TWO:
The creation of a national Thanksgiving holiday resulted from theefforts of a writer named Sarah Josepha Hale. In theEighteen-Twenties, she began a campaign to officially establish theholiday.
Support for her idea grew slowly. Finally, in EighteenSixty-Three, President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday inNovember as a national holiday of Thanksgiving. Later, Congressdeclared that the holiday would be celebrated every year on thefourth Thursday in November.
VOICE ONE:
Over the years, Americans have added new traditions to theirThanksgiving celebration. For example, a number of professional anduniversity football games are played on Thanksgiving Day. Some ofthe games are broadcast on national television. Many people alsolike to watch Thanksgiving Day parades on television. Big stores inseveral cities organize these marches.
But for many Americans,Thanksgiving is a time for memories. Former Special English writerand broadcaster Richard Thorman liked to remember the Thanksgivingswhen he was a young child. His family always ate a large dinner inthe afternoon. Then the men would rest. Later, the family would eatagain. Here is one young boy’s Thanksgiving memory:
VOICE TWO:
“In the early evening, when the outside light had begun to fade,the men would start to reappear. Then the food began to reappear.And everyone sat at the table and ate again as if no food had beenserved before. I never knew how the Thanksgiving celebration ended.I usually was asleep and had to be carried to the car for the longride home.”
VOICE ONE:
On Thanksgiving, Americans gather with family and friends. Weshare what we have. And we give thanks for the good things of thepast year. Here is the Boston Pops Orchestra and chorus performing”Prayer of Thanksgiving.”
(MUSIC)
VOICE TWO:
This program was written by Jerilyn Watson. It was produced byCynthia Kirk. I’m Steve Ember.
VOICE ONE:
And I’m Mary Tillotson. Join us again next week for anotherreport about life in the United States on the VOA Special Englishprogram, THIS IS AMERICA.