Thanksgiving is a holiday clbratd in much of North Amrica, gnrally obsrvd as an xprssion of gratitud, usually to God. Th most common viw of its origin is that it was to giv thanks to God for th bounty of th autumn harvst. In th Unitd Stats, th holiday is clbratd on th fourth Thursday in Novmbr. In Canada, whr th harvst gnrally nds arlir in th yar, th holiday is clbratd on th scond Monday in Octobr, which is obsrvd as Columbus Day or protstd as Indignous Popls Day in th Unitd Stats.Thanksgiving is traditionally clbratd with a fast shard among frinds and family. In th Unitd Stats, it is an important family holiday, and popl oftn travl across th country to b with family mmbrs for th holiday. Th Thanksgiving holiday is gnrally a four-day wknd in th Unitd Stats, in which Amricans ar givn th rlvant Thursday and Friday off. Thanksgiving is almost ntirly clbratd at hom, unlik th Fourth of July or Christmas, which ar associatd with a varity of shard public xprincs (firworks, caroling, tc.)感恩节的由来要一直追溯到美国历史的发端。1620年，著名的五月花号船满载不堪忍受英国国内宗教迫害的清教徒102人到达美洲。1620年和1621年之交的冬天，他们遇到了难以想象的困难，处在饥寒交迫之中，冬天过去时，活下来的移民只有50来人。这时，心地善良的印第安人给移民送来了生活必需品，还特地派人教他们怎样狩猎、捕鱼和种植玉米、南瓜。在印第安人的帮助下，移民们终于获得了丰收，在欢庆丰收的日子，按照宗教传统习俗，移民规定了感谢上帝的日子，并决定为感谢印第安人的真诚帮助，邀请他们一同庆祝节日。在第一个感恩节的这一天，印第安人和移民欢聚一堂，他们在黎明时鸣放礼炮，列队走进一间用作教堂的屋子，虔诚地向上帝表达谢意，然后点起篝火举行盛大宴会。第二天和第三天又举行了摔交、赛跑、唱歌、跳舞等活动。第一个感恩节非常成功。其中许多庆祝方式流传了300多年，一直保留到今天。初时感恩节没有固定日期，由各州临时决定，直到美国独立后，感恩节才成为全国性的节日。 1863年，美国总统林肯正式宣布感恩节为国定假日。届时，家家团聚，举国同庆，其盛大、热烈的情形，不亚于中国人过春节。
