Na quarta quinta-feira de novembro é celebrado o Thanksgiving Day, ou Dia de Ação de Graças, nos EUA e alguns outros países. Este é um dos feriados mais tradicionais, e todo o país celebra a data junto com a família e amigos.

A origem do feriado se deu em um jantar entre os colonizadores europeus e indígenas nativos americanos, celebrando e agradecendo pela colheita e fartura do ano. O feriado foi instituído em 1863 pelo então presidente Abraham Lincoln e desde então é celebrado com algumas tradições características deste dia.

Continue lendo e faça o exercício abaixo para aprender mais sobre as tradições do Thanksgiving Day!

EXERCISE

Match the definitions below and try to put the words in the correct places in the text.

1. Shelters	(    ) a platform mounted on a truck and carrying a display in a procession
2. Brittle	(    ) sleep lightly or briefly, especially during the day
3. Gravy	(    ) a place giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger
4. Floats	(    ) a sauce made from cooked meat juices together with stock and other ingredients
5. Naps	(    ) hard but liable to break easily
6. Flavors	(    ) the person or people who
7. Whoever	(    ) a type of large vegetable with a hard skin and a lot of seeds at its centre
8. Squash	(    ) the distinctive taste of a food or drink

TRAVEL

Most years, one of the best things about Thanksgiving is spending time with family. Many people live far from family members and travel long distances by car, train, or plane to be with their loved ones. Thanksgiving is often one of the busiest travel days of the year!

THE TURKEY PARDON

Each year at Thanksgiving, the president of the United States receives a gift of two live turkeys. At a White House ceremony, the president traditionally “pardons” the National Thanksgiving Turkeys so they can live on a farm.

THE FEAST

Traditional foods are a large part of Thanksgiving celebrations. Many families include the entire family in the food preparation. Traditional foods include turkey, stuffing, (1) _____, sweet potatoes, cornbread, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. Many people serve pie for dessert at the end of the meal. Popular pie (2) _____ are pumpkin, pecan, sweet potato, and apple.

Some families choose to serve vegetarian Thanksgiving dinners instead of a stuffed turkey. They might eat vegetarian turkey, which can be made out of tofu. Others eat (3) _____, salads, or other fruit and vegetable dishes.

THE WISHBONE

Some families include breaking the turkey’s wishbone as part of their celebration. The wishbone is found attached to the breast meat in the turkey’s chest. After the meat has been removed and the wishbone has had a chance to become dry and (4) _____, two people each take one end of the bone, make a wish, and pull. (5) _____ ends up with the larger part of the bone gets their wish!

PARADE

Many families watch the New York City Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which includes marching bands, (6) _____, songs and performances from Broadway musicals, and giant helium-filled balloons! People like to watch football games—maybe your family likes to play one outside!

HELPING OTHERS

Thanksgiving is a great time to help out people who might not be as lucky as you. Some people volunteer to serve food at homeless (7) _____; others donate to (7) _____ or participate in canned food drives.

AFTER THE MEAL

The food is eaten, the dishes are washed … now it’s time to relax. Some families take bike rides, go on walks, or take (8) _____. Others play board or card games together.

ANSWER KEY

Exercise 1

Correct order: 4 – 5 – 1 – 3 – 2 – 7 – 8 – 6

Exercise 2

1. gravy
2. flavors
3. squash
4. brittle
5. Whoever
6. floats
7. shelters
8. naps

SOURCE

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/history/thanksgiving-traditions/

Escrito por Michel Rosas e publicado na coluna semanal da Exame.com. Editado para o blog da Companhia de Idiomas.