Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day
 
Observed by Canada, United States
Type National
Date Second Monday in October (Canada);
Fourth Thursday in November (U.S.)
2008 date October 13, 2008 (Canada);
November 27, 2008 (U.S.)
2009 date October 12, 2009 (Canada);
November 26, 2009 (U.S.) (来源：英语杂志 http://www.EnglishCN.com)

Thanksgiving, also known as Thanksgiving Day, is a harvest festival. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. It is primarily a North American holiday which has generally become a national secular holiday with religious origins.

The dates and whereabouts of the first Thanksgiving celebration are a topic of modest contention. Though the earliest attested Thanksgiving celebration was on September 8, 1565 in what is now Saint Augustine, Florida[1][2], the traditional "first Thanksgiving" is venerated as having occurred at the site of Plymouth Plantation, in 1621.

Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Thanksgiving dinner is held on this day, usually as a gathering of family members.