How Thanksgiving Day Came into Being
In 1620, a small sailboat named the Mayflower left England for the New World. The Mayflower headed for the Jamestown colony on the warm shore of Virginia. Its one hundred passengers were the Pilgrims. They were looking for a place where they could worship God in their own way.
Because of strong winds and severe storms, the Mayflower lost its course. The brave group of colonists finally had to land at Plymouth on the rocky coast of Massachusetts in December 1620. It was the middle of the stern northern winter. Terrible months of starvation, disease, and death were ahead of them. Only the strongest of the Pilgrims survived that winter. Many women gave their own pitiful rations to their children and died for lack of food for themselves. The Governor of the Plymouth Colony, John Carver, died in April 1621. In his place, the Pilgrims elected William Bradford.
Conditions began to improve in the spring of 1621. There were wild vegetables. There were berries and fruit. Fish and game were plentiful. Therefore, they were able to get enough fresh meat despite their lack of skill or experience in hunting and fishing. The colonists health improved with the warm weather and their better diet.
In the fall, they looked back over the past year. They were both regretful and thankful. Only fifty of the original one hundred passengers remained. The price in human lives and tragedy had been great. On the other hand, they saw new hope for the future. A splendid harvest was behind them. They were ready for the second winter with confidence. They had eleven crude houses for protection against the severe winter. Seven were for families, and four were for communal use. Best of all, they had established a treaty of friendship with their Indian neighbours under Chief Massasoit in the summer. The woods and forests became safe. When the Mayflower returned to England that summer, there were no colonists aboard.
At the end of their first year in their new home, the Pilgrims wanted to celebrate with a real holiday. Governor Bradford decided on December 13, 1621 as the day for giving thanks to God.
The colonists fired a cannon as a salute at dawn on that first Thanksgiving Day, afterwards they moved to the meeting house in a procession. This house took the place of a church for them. There they offered humble thanks to God. After the religious ceremony, a great feast and three days of celebration began. Massasoit and his Indian warriors were guests.
The hunters came back with wild turkeys, geese, and ducks. The Indians brought deer meat. In addition, there were fish, clams, and oysters. The Pilgrim housewives probably cooked some of their dried strawberries or cherries. However, there was no sugar. Therefore, they were unable to prepare English jam or jelly. The Indians contributed many kinds of vegetables, especially pumpkins. Today pumpkins are both food and decoration for almost every Thanksgiving table.
中国的私人汽车
死刑就是为了震慑犯罪
为什么要请家教
Writing Violence and Romances on TV
我们敬爱的英语老师
钱包的招领
Letter of Thanks
一个也不能少的电影简介
永远不会太晚了
Bicycle or car
更多关注儿童的问题
空气
保护自然的资源
反对在学校的附近建化工厂的理由
发现
未来的水资源的问题
常用成语的英汉对照
早起床的好处多多
一封推荐信
希望学校英语
失败与成功的关系
创建和谐的社会(build a harmonious society)
高考英语作文的范文
高考主题句作文写作攻略及必背模版的句型
高考的素材11句有关努力与时光的名言
兴趣在日常生活和学习中的一些作用
有关禁止学生在校园内使用手机的规定
请你以宿舍管理委员会的名义写一份通知
在英语角的一些讲话
赞成或反对那些中学生使用手机
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |