Thanksgiving Reading - Holiday Readings

Read the following article about Thanksgiving. Then answer
the reading comprehension questions below.



                        Thanksgiving is a very important holiday in
Canada and The United States. It is a holiday to celebrate the
harvest and the food grown throughout the year. Because
these countries do not grow food all year long, the fall
season is a time to bring the vegetables and fruit in from the
fields and save them for the winter.

In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the 2nd Monday in
October. In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on
the 4th Thursday of November.

In both countries, this holiday is a time to visit family and
enjoy a Thanksgiving Day feast. This normally includes
special foods, including the foods in the pictures below:

The main difference between the holiday in Canada and the
United States is the time. In Canada, Thanksgiving is in
October, which means it is a time that summer is ending, the
fall season is starting, and people are preparing for winter.

In the United States, Thanksgiving marks the start of the
Christmas season, and the day after the holiday is the biggest
shopping day of the year. This is called Black Friday. When
Thanksgiving ends, Christmas begins as Americans get ready
for the holiday season in December.

In both countries, the holiday has its beginnings with the
European pioneers and their relations with the Native North
Americans. This is why the image of the American Pilgrim is
famous around Thanksgiving.

While the dates are not exactly known,
Thanksgiving is believed to have started in
1578 in Canada and 1621 in The United States.
In Canada, the explorer Martin Frobisher
held a feast to give thanks for a successful
passage to the Pacific Ocean. Later, famous French explorer
Samuel de Champlain organized a celebration for the
harvest.
In the United States, it is believed that the first celebration
occurred in 1578 at Plymouth Rock, in what is now
Massachusetts.

Recent celebrations of Thanksgiving include spending time
with family, eating traditional food, and, not surprisingly,
watching football (American football). Considering it is a
popular sport played during the fall and it is a traditional
American sport, football is enjoyed by many Americans on
Thanksgiving day. This includes both college and
professional games around the country. In Canada, the
professional Canadian Football League also holds two games.
In the U.S., there is also a famous parade held in New York
City.