[ti:Thanksgiving: An American Tradition]
[al:Arts and Culture]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2023-11-23]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:00.00]The American holiday of Thanksgiving is celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday in November. 
[00:11.06]The holiday is during autumn -- the main season for harvesting crops. 
[00:19.18]Thanksgiving is an autumn harvest festival like those found in many cultures around the world.
[00:28.56]On this day, most Americans gather with friends and family.
[00:36.54]Many take time to think about what they are thankful for, cook up a storm, and eat.
[00:44.82]A lot.
[00:46.64]The star of most Thanksgiving dinners is a roasted turkey.
[00:53.36]Turkeys are large birds native to North America.
[00:58.71]The turkey is cooked in an oven for many hours, often with a mix of celery, bread, onions and spices inside the bird.
[01:13.44]This mix becomes stuffing -- another star of the Thanksgiving dinner table.
[01:20.75]Anna Matteo here at Learning English says the smell of turkey and stuffing roasting together is the quintessential smell of Thanksgiving.
[01:35.09]"Quintessential" means the perfect example of something.
[01:40.85]After the bird is cooked, the stuffing is taken out and served as a side dish.
[01:48.26]One of many side dishes. Families often make other foods like mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and vegetable casseroles. 
[02:03.50]A casserole is a dish that cooks slowly in an oven.
[02:09.03]And do not forget about the gravy.
[02:13.28]This rich sauce is made from the fatty liquid that comes off the turkey as it cooks. 
[02:21.90]People cover their turkey meat, stuffing and mashed potatoes with gravy.
[02:29.87]The meal does not end with the turkey, stuffing, and side dishes, though.
[02:36.08]For some people, the best part of the meal is dessert.
[02:42.07]The quintessential Thanksgiving dessert is pie. 
[02:47.11]Pumpkin, cherry, apple or pecan pie are all great ways to finish off a Thanksgiving meal...if you are not too full of food by that point!
[03:01.93]Some Americans must travel long distances to be with their families. In fact, the Sunday after Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the entire year.
[03:18.57]This is usually when people return home from family gatherings.
[03:25.40]Not everyone can make the return home each Thanksgiving.
[03:30.99]So, young people living in cities away from their hometowns sometimes celebrate "Friendsgiving" -- a Thanksgiving meal with their friends instead of their family.
[03:46.57]They gather at someone's apartment or house and have a "potluck." 
[03:53.93]This is a meal where everyone who is invited brings food to share with others.
[04:02.20]Thanksgiving is a big day for television, games and other entertainment.
[04:10.43]One tradition is the television broadcast of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 
[04:18.32]It takes place each year in New York City. Workers of the Macy's store on Herald Square organized the first parade in 1924.
[04:33.00]Many of the workers were immigrants and wanted to hold a big parade like the ones in Europe. 
[04:41.12]So, they dressed in costumes and borrowed some animals from the zoo.
[04:47.59]They also carried small balloons that floated just overhead.
[04:54.00]Many professional American football games are also played on Thanksgiving.
[05:00.31]Fans of the sport enjoy relaxing and watching a game or two after eating a big Thanksgiving meal.
[05:10.51]Some start Thanksgiving Day early - and in a healthy way.
[05:16.69]So-called "Turkey Trot" races take place in many towns and cities.
[05:24.43]These events involve runners dressing up in a Thanksgiving-related costume and running a short distance -- usually five kilometers.
[05:38.46]Many Turkey Trots urge runners to bring canned food to donate to local food banks -- non-profit organizations that give food to poor people in a community.
[05:53.97]Certainly, not everyone in America has an easy Thanksgiving.
[06:00.51]The United States is home to many poor and homeless people.
[06:06.35]Some cannot afford a Thanksgiving dinner. 
[06:11.09]Others are without friends or families.
[06:15.15]Many religious and service organizations around the country try to fill these needs. 
[06:23.19]Some provide community dinners at churches and other centers. 
[06:29.34]Some groups also deliver Thanksgiving meals to people too sick or old to leave their homes.
[06:38.68]The writer O. Henry called Thanksgiving the one holiday that is purely American. 
[06:48.33]It is not linked to a religion or a certain group. 
[06:53.26]Anyone in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November is welcome to celebrate Thanksgiving.
[07:03.53]I'm Caty Weaver.
[07:05.48]And I'm Ashley Thompson.