ThanksgivingDayisanAmericanholidayandnotcelebratedincontinentalEurope.OnthefourthThursdayofeachNovember,familiesandfriendsgathertogetherfortheoccasiontocelebratewithatraditionalturkeydinner,usuallyinthemid-afternoon.Thanksgivingoriginatedasacelebrationoftheyear'sharvestandissimilartotheMid-AutumnFestivalinChina. 　　TheoriginoftheThanksgivingDay 　　ThisAmericantraditionstartedin1621beforetheUnitedStatesofAmericawasestablished.Itwasahugecelebrationforahard-earnedharvestthefirstyearafterarrivingintheNewWorld. 　　OnSeptember6,1620,theMayflowershipsetsailfromPlymouth,Devon,England,takingalltheEnglishPilgrims（清教徒）totheNewWorld.TheEnglishPilgrimsnumberedaboutahundredpeople,andleftEnglandtoescapereligiouspersecution.TheirvoyagetotheNewWorldwasfinancedbyMerchantAdventurers,anEnglishinvestorgroup. 　　ThePilgrimssailedsixty-sixdays,arrivedintheNewWorldinNovemberofthesameyear.TheyfirstsettledinacornfieldabandonedbyNativeIndiansandnameditPlymouthPlantation. 　　TheyworkedonthelandwithmuchdifficultyandwerebesetbyadevastatingplagueinwhichhalfofthePilgrimdiedinthelongwinterof1620.Inthespringof1621,anIndianbravenamedSquantoandherWampanoag（瓦帕浓人,北美印第安人阿尔琴族一部落）tribecametotheirhelp.ThetribetaughtthePilgrimshowtoworktheearthandplantcorn,beans,pumpkins,squashandothercrops. 　　TheThanksgivingfeastin1621 　　InlateSeptember1621,thePilgrimswerepleasedwiththeirgreatharvest.Tocelebratetheirfirstharvest,thePilgrimswantedtothankGodandtheNativeIndian.TheyinvitedSquantoandtheentireWampanoagtribethatcelebratetogetherinasharedfeast. 　　ItwassaidaboutninetyWampanoagturnedup,muchtothesurpriseofthePilgrims,whosepopulationhadshrunktonomorethan50.Thechiefofthetribehadhismenhuntfivedeertobringtothefeast.ThefirstThanksgivingdinnerhadanelaboratemenuwithvenison,wildturkey,goose,duck,crane,swan,andotherwaterfowl;theyalsohaslocalseafood:clams,lobsters,mussels,salmon,cod,bass,herring,shad,bluefish,lotsofeelandoysters.Theyalsocookedplentyofvegetables,amongthemsquash,pumpkinsandbeanswerethemostpopular. 　　Theyateraspberries,strawberries,grapes,plums,cherries,blueberries,walnuts,chestnuts,acorns,hickoryandgroundnuts,wheatflour,Indiancornandcornmealandtheymadebeeroutofbarley.Thepumpkinpuddingwaslaterdevelopedintothetraditionalpumpkinpie. 　　ThefirstThanksgivingdinnerissaidtohavelastedfromthreedaystooneweekwithmuchfood,beerandliquor.ThePilgrimsandtheNativeIndiansattogetherontheground,sharedfoodwithfingersorusedroughplatesmadeofwoodorstalebread.Theyranraces,playedoldEnglishgamesandstagedparadesduringthefestive,withmarches,drumsandfiringoftheirmuskets. 　　"Thanksgiving"relatedtotheBible 　　Thephrase"thanksgiving"initiallycomesfromtheBible.ThePilgrimsofPlymouth,however,weremainlyPuritansandstrictCalvinistProtestants.TheyonlyobservedthreereligiousholidaysfromtheNewTestament:SundaySabbath,DaysofFastingandhumiliationandThanksgiving.Thanksgivingmarkedfavourable("mercies")incommunitylife. 　　ThefirstThanksgivingfestivalwasin