EnglishPod

Global View - Thanksgiving Dinner #D0324

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 in the 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 the majority

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

Supplementary Vocabulary

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