Date: 11-20-00
THIS IS AMERICA #1041 - THANKSGIVING
By CAROLYN WEAVER/SHELLEY GOLLUSTVOICE ONE:
IT IS ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST POPULAR HOLIDAYS. IT IS A DAY FOR
EXPRESSING THANKS FOR THE GOOD THINGS IN LIFE, ESPECIALLY FAMILY
AND FRIENDS. I'M SHIRLEY GRIFFITH.
VOICE TWO:
AND I'M SARAH LONG_. THE STORY OF THANKSGIVING IS OUR
REPORT TODAY ON THE VOA SPECIAL ENGLISH PROGRAM, THIS IS
AMERICA.
(THEME)
VOICE ONE:
THIS THURSDAY IS THANKSGIVING DAY. THE WRITER O. HENRY CALLED IT
THE ONE DAY THAT IS PURELY AMERICAN. THANKSGIVING IS NOT A
RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY. BUT IT HAS SPIRITUAL MEANING. SOME AMERICANS
ATTEND CHURCH CEREMONIES ON THANKSGIVING MORNING. OTHERS TRAVEL
LONG DISTANCES TO BE WITH THEIR FAMILIES. THEY HAVE A LARGE
DINNER, WHICH IS THE MAIN PART OF THE CELEBRATION.
VOICE TWO:
FOR MANY AMERICANS, THANKSGIVING IS THE ONLY TIME OF YEAR WHEN
ALL MEMBERS OF A FAMILY GATHER TOGETHER. SO, THE HOLIDAY IS
CONSIDERED A TIME OF FAMILY REUNION. ABOUT THIRTY-MILLION
AMERICANS ARE EXPECTED TO TRAVEL THIS WEEK TO BE WITH THEIR
FAMILIES. IT IS THE BUSIEST TRAVEL TIME OF THE YEAR IN THE
UNITED STATES.
MORE THAN ANY OTHER HOLIDAY, THANKSGIVING IS A CELEBRATION OF
FAMILY AND HOME. HERE IS PART OF A TRADITIONAL THANKSGIVING
SONG. IT IS CALLED "BLESS THIS HOUSE." IT IS SUNG BY THE MORMON
TABERNACLE CHOIR.
((TAPE CUT 1: "BLESS THIS HOUSE"))
VOICE ONE:
ON THANKSGIVING, FAMILY AND FRIENDS ENJOY A LONG DAY OF COOKING,
EATING, AND TALKING. THE THANKSGIVING MEAL ALMOST ALWAYS
INCLUDES TURKEY MEAT WITH A BREAD MIXTURE COOKED INSIDE. OTHER
TRADITIONAL FOODS ARE SWEET POTATOES, CRANBERRIES, AND PUMPKIN
PIE. STORES SELL MORE FOOD AT THANKSGIVING THAN AT ANY OTHER
TIME OF THE YEAR. AND MANY PEOPLE EAT MORE FOOD ON THANKSGIVING
THAN AT ANY OTHER TIME OF THE YEAR.
((MUSIC BRIDGE))
VOICE TWO:
THANKSGIVING IS CELEBRATED EVERY YEAR ON THE FOURTH THURSDAY OF
NOVEMBER. THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER IS AUTUMN IN THE UNITED STATES.
AUTUMN IS THE SEASON WHEN CROPS ARE GATHERED. WHEN THE FIRST
EUROPEAN SETTLERS IN AMERICA GATHERED THEIR CROPS, THEY
CELEBRATED. THEY THANKED THEIR GOD FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE
HARVEST.
TRADITION SAYS THE FIRST THANKSGIVING WAS CELEBRATED IN
SIXTEEN-TWENTY-ONE BY PILGRIM SETTLERS FROM ENGLAND. THERE IS
EVIDENCE THAT SETTLERS IN OTHER PARTS OF AMERICA HELD EARLIER
THANKSGIVING CELEBRATIONS. BUT THE PILGRIMS' THANKSGIVING STORY
IS THE MOST POPULAR.
VOICE ONE:
THE PILGRIMS WERE RELIGIOUS DISSIDENTS WHO FLED OPPRESSION IN
ENGLAND. THEY WENT FIRST TO THE NETHERLANDS. THEN THEY LEFT
THAT COUNTRY TO ESTABLISH A COLONY IN NORTH AMERICA. THE
PILGRIMS LANDED IN SIXTEEN-TWENTY IN WHAT LATER BECAME KNOWN AS
PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS.
THEIR VOYAGE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN WAS DIFFICULT. THEIR
FIRST MONTHS IN AMERICA WERE DIFFICULT, TOO. ABOUT ONE-HUNDRED
PILGRIMS LANDED JUST AS AUTUMN WAS TURNING TO WINTER. DURING THE
COLD MONTHS THAT FOLLOWED, ABOUT HALF OF THEM DIED.
VOICE TWO:
WHEN SPRING CAME, THE PILGRIMS BEGAN PLANTING CROPS. A NATIVE
AMERICAN INDIAN NAMED SQUANTO HELPED THEM. WHEN SUMMER ENDED,
THE PILGRIMS HAD A GOOD HARVEST OF CORN AND BARLEY. SOME
VEGETABLES HAD GROWN POORLY. YET THERE WAS ENOUGH FOOD TO LAST
THROUGH THE WINTER.
THE PILGRIMS DECIDED TO HOLD A CELEBRATION TO GIVE THANKS FOR
THEIR HARVEST. WRITINGS FROM THAT TIME SAY THAT PILGRIM LEADER
WILLIAM BRADFORD SET A DATE LATE IN THE YEAR. HE INVITED MEMBERS
OF A NEARBY INDIAN TRIBE TO TAKE PART.
VOICE ONE:
THAT THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION LASTED THREE DAYS. THERE WERE MANY
KINDS OF FOODS TO EAT. THE MEAL INCLUDED WILD BIRDS SUCH AS
DUCKS, GEESE, AND -- POSSIBLY -- TURKEYS.
THE PILGRIMS DID NOT HOLD ANOTHER THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION UNTIL
TWO YEARS LATER. THE CELEBRATION MARKED THE END OF A PERIOD OF
DRY WEATHER THAT HAD ALMOST DESTROYED THEIR CROPS. HISTORIANS
BELIEVE THAT THE PILGRIMS'S SECOND THANKSGIVING WAS HELD IN JULY.
VOICE TWO:
THE PILGRIMS DID NOT PLAN TO ESTABLISH A YEARLY THANKSGIVING
HOLIDAY. BUT AS THE AMERICAN COLONIES GREW, THANKSGIVING -- OR
HARVEST -- CELEBRATIONS WERE HELD IN MANY TOWNS AND SETTLEMENTS.
THEY WERE HELD ON MANY DIFFERENT DAYS. IT WAS NOT UNTIL ABOUT
TWO-HUNDRED-FIFTY YEARS LATER THAT A NATIONAL DAY FOR
THANKSGIVING WAS DECLARED.
((MUSIC BRIDGE))
VOICE ONE:
THE DECLARATION OF A NATIONAL THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY RESULTED FROM
THE EFFORTS OF ONE WOMAN, SARAH JOSEPHA HALE. SHE BEGAN HER
CAMPAIGN IN THE EIGHTEEN-TWENTIES. MISSUS HALE WAS A WRITER.
SHE WROTE STORIES ABOUT A NATIONAL DAY OF THANKSGIVING IN A
PUBLICATION FOR WOMEN. SHE ALSO WROTE MANY LETTERS TO PRESIDENTS
AND OTHER PUBLIC OFFICIALS. SHE URGED THEM TO SUPPORT THE IDEA.
SUPPORT GREW SLOWLY. FINALLY, IN EIGHTEEN-SIXTY-THREE, PRESIDENT
ABRAHAM LINCOLN DECLARED THE FOURTH THURSDAY IN NOVEMBER AS A
NATIONAL HOLIDAY OF THANKSGIVING.
VOICE TWO:
AT THAT TIME, THE UNITED STATES WAS FIGHTING A CIVIL WAR.
PRESIDENT LINCOLN LIKED THE IDEA OF A THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY THAT
WOULD ALSO CELEBRATE NATIONAL UNITY. SINCE THEN, THE UNITED
STATES HAS ALWAYS CELEBRATED THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY.
AMERICAN WRITER DIANA KARTER APPELBAUM WROTE A BOOK ABOUT
THANKSGIVING. SHE SAID THANKSGIVING BECAME IMPORTANT PARTLY
BECAUSE THE UNITED STATES WAS A NEW NATION. SHE SAID THE UNITED
STATES NEEDED TRADITIONS THAT WOULD HELP HOLD THE NEW NATION
TOGETHER.
((MUSIC BRIDGE))
VOICE ONE:
OVER THE YEARS, SOME NEW TRADITIONS WERE ADDED TO AMERICA'S
THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION. FOR EXAMPLE, A NUMBER OF PROFESSIONAL
AND UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL GAMES ARE PLAYED ON THANKSGIVING DAY.
SOME OF THE GAMES ARE BROADCAST ON NATIONAL TELEVISION.
SEVERAL THANKSGIVING DAY PARADES ARE BROADCAST ON TELEVISION,
TOO. THESE PARADES ARE ORGANIZED BY BIG STORES IN SEVERAL
AMERICAN CITIES. THE PARADE ORGANIZED BY THE MACY'S STORE IN NEW
YORK IS THE BIGGEST.
GIANT BALLOONS TWENTY METERS HIGH FLOAT ABOVE THE STREET. THE
BALLOONS ARE IN THE SHAPE OF CREATURES FROM POPULAR CARTOONS AND
TELEVISION PROGRAMS. PEOPLE ON THE GROUND HOLD HEAVY ROPES SO
THE BALLOONS DO NOT FLY AWAY.
VOICE TWO:
THANKSGIVING ALSO IS A TIME WHEN AMERICANS SHARE WHAT THEY HAVE
WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE MUCH. CHURCHES AND OTHER GROUPS
PROVIDE FREE THANKSGIVING MEALS FOR OLD PEOPLE, THE HOMELESS, AND
THE POOR. MANY AMERICANS GIVE TURKEYS OR OTHER FOOD TO THESE
GROUPS. SOME SPEND PART OF THE DAY HELPING TO PREPARE AND SERVE
THE MEALS.
VOICE ONE:
RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THANKSGIVING DAY
FOR MANY AMERICANS. PEOPLE JOIN IN PRAYERS AND SONGS OF
THANKSGIVING. ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS SONGS IS CALLED "PRAYER OF
THANKSGIVING."
THE WORDS AND MUSIC TELL OF THE TRADITIONAL MEANING OF
THANKSGIVING. WE GATHER WITH OUR FAMILY. WE SHARE WHAT WE HAVE.
AND WE GIVE THANKS FOR THE GOOD THINGS OF THE PAST YEAR. HERE IS
THE BOSTON POPS ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS SINGING "PRAYER OF
THANKSGIVING."
((TAPE CUT 2: "PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING"))
VOICE TWO:
THIS PROGRAM WAS WRITTEN BY CAROLYN WEAVER. IT WAS PRODUCED BY
CATY WEAVER. OUR ENGINEER WAS HOLLY CAPEHART. I'M SARAH LONG.
VOICE ONE:
AND I'M SHIRLEY GRIFFITH. JOIN US AGAIN NEXT WEEK FOR ANOTHER
REPORT ABOUT LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES ON THE VOA SPECIAL
ENGLISH PROGRAM, THIS IS AMERICA.
Source: www.voa.gov/special/