Why Do We Celebrate Thanksgiving?
There are many celebrations and holidays that are celebrated around the year in the U.S. But there is nothing more American than the Thanksgiving holiday! We celebrate it each year, but have you given a thought as to why we do? Let us get a clearer of the holiday together! Thanksgiving is a federal holiday that is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Thanksgiving holiday is being celebrated annually on and off since 1789. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated for the harvest and blessings of the past year. Thanksgiving was first observed in 1621 on a harvest feast that was shared by the English Colonists of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people. In the United States, there are lots of traditions followed on Thanksgiving Day. People gather together and share meals together. A typical meal comprises turkey, bread stuffing, potatoes, cranberries, and pumpkin pies. A Thanksgiving Day parade is also held every year in remembrance of the Thanksgiving celebrations. We explore a number of ways to include this theme in your classes in our article: Top 10 Tips for Incorporating Thanksgiving Themes in Your Classroom
What are you thankful for this year?
Draw a picture of the things you are most thankful for this holiday.
Traditions
A tradition is custom, belief, or activity that is passed on from generation to generation. Holiday traditions are certain things that you do every year as a way to observe or celebrate the holiday. Describe some of the Thanksgiving traditions in your family.
Matching Game
Cut out each card along the dotted lines. Mix the cards and lay them face down. Turn the cards over two at a time to look for a match. When a match is found, remove the cards. The player with the most matches wins.
Christmas Trivia
Example: True or False: If you add up all the gifts given in the song the Twelve Days of Christmas there are 364 total gifts.
How It Came To Be
Federal offices and many businesses close. Typical traditions include getting together with family and sharing a large meal. Traditional foods include turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, vegetables, and pumpkin pie.
Gratitude Haiku
Write a haiku poem about gratitude, or something that you are thankful for.
Alphabetic Order
Arrange the words: yams, grateful, turkey, bounty, maize, wattle, harvest, voyage, cranberry, Puritan
What are you thankful for?
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect about your life, and take the time to feel and express gratitude. What are you thankful for this year? Write a sentence about each thing you are thankful for.
