中华万年历

感恩节（Thanksgiving Day）是美国和加拿大的传统节日，用于感谢上帝赐予的丰收和过去一年的恩惠。在美国，感恩节定于每年11月的第四个星期四；在加拿大则是10月的第二个星期一。感恩节起源于1621年，当时普利茅斯的清教徒移民为庆祝丰收，与当地印第安人共同举办了为期三天的庆典，这被视为第一个感恩节。现代感恩节是美国最重要的家庭节日之一，传统上家人会团聚在一起，享用以火鸡为主的盛宴，表达对生活的感激之情。感恩节也标志着美国假日季的开始，次日的"黑色星期五"是年度最大的购物日。感恩节的核心价值是感恩、团聚和分享，体现了对家庭、友谊和社会的重视。

感恩节的起源与美国早期殖民历史密切相关。1620年，一群英国清教徒（Pilgrims）为逃避宗教迫害，乘坐"五月花号"（Mayflower）船只横渡大西洋,抵达北美的普利茅斯（今马萨诸塞州）。第一个冬天极其严酷，食物短缺、疾病肆虐，102名移民中仅有一半存活下来。次年春天，当地万帕诺亚格部落（Wampanoag）的印第安人向移民伸出援手，教他们种植玉米、捕鱼和狩猎，帮助他们适应新环境。1621年秋天，移民们收获了第一批玉米和其他作物，为了庆祝丰收并感谢上帝的眷顾和印第安人的帮助，他们邀请万帕诺亚格部落的首领马萨索伊特（Massasoit）及其族人共同举办了为期三天的庆祝活动。这次庆典包括丰盛的宴会——有鹿肉、火鸡、玉米、南瓜等食物，还有娱乐活动如射箭、赛跑等。约90名印第安人和50多名移民参加了这次历史性的聚会，这被后人认为是第一个感恩节，象征着文化交流、互助和和平共处。然而，感恩节在当时并未成为固定节日。17-18世纪期间，新英格兰各殖民地会不定期举行感恩庆典。美国独立后，1789年乔治·华盛顿总统宣布11月26日为全国感恩日。但直到1863年，亚伯拉罕·林肯总统才正式宣布将每年11月的最后一个星期四定为全国性的感恩节。1941年，美国国会通过法案，将感恩节日期改为11月的第四个星期四并定为联邦法定假日。

Thanksgiving Day is a traditional holiday in the United States and Canada for giving thanks to God for the harvest and blessings of the past year. In the United States, Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November each year; in Canada, it's the second Monday of October. Thanksgiving originated in 1621 when Pilgrim settlers in Plymouth celebrated their harvest with a three-day feast shared with local Native Americans, considered the first Thanksgiving. Modern Thanksgiving is one of America's most important family holidays. Traditionally, families gather together to enjoy a feast centered on turkey, expressing gratitude for life. Thanksgiving also marks the beginning of America's holiday season, with the following day's 'Black Friday' being the year's largest shopping day. Thanksgiving's core values are gratitude, reunion, and sharing, reflecting the importance placed on family, friendship, and community.

Thanksgiving's origin is closely related to early American colonial history. In 1620, a group of English Puritans (Pilgrims), fleeing religious persecution, crossed the Atlantic on the Mayflower ship and arrived in Plymouth (now Massachusetts) in North America. The first winter was extremely harsh - food shortages and disease ravaged the group, with only half of the 102 immigrants surviving. The following spring, Native Americans from the local Wampanoag tribe extended help to the immigrants, teaching them to plant corn, fish, and hunt, helping them adapt to the new environment. In autumn 1621, the immigrants harvested their first corn and other crops. To celebrate the harvest and thank God's grace and the Native Americans' help, they invited Wampanoag chief Massasoit and his tribespeople to a three-day celebration. This feast included abundant food - venison, turkey, corn, pumpkin, and other foods, plus entertainment activities like archery and racing. About 90 Native Americans and over 50 immigrants attended this historic gathering, which later generations consider the first Thanksgiving, symbolizing cultural exchange, mutual aid, and peaceful coexistence. However, Thanksgiving did not become a fixed holiday at that time. During the 17th-18th centuries, New England colonies held irregular thanksgiving celebrations. After American independence, President George Washington declared November 26, 1789, as a national day of thanksgiving. But it wasn't until 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln officially proclaimed the last Thursday of November each year as a national Thanksgiving. In 1941, Congress passed legislation changing Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November and establishing it as a federal legal holiday.