Festivities and traditions in the United States.
Thanksgiving Day: Thanksgiving day is the oldest American holiday of Christian origin. It was first celebrated in october 1621, the pilgrims had arrived in the new world from europe on the Mayflower in the winter of 1620. Arrived in America , these Pilgrim Fathers , were helped by some Indian tribes who taught him to plant corn , to hunt and to breed the animal (specially turkeys ) and do the sweet syrup from the trees . When they celebrated Thanksgiving , they have invited these tribes .
They had worked hard all through the spring and summer of 1621 and, as the harvest was good, they wanted to thank god for it. Their first thanksgiving feast lasted three days and the celebration was repeated every year. Until 1863, celebrations were limited to a few states in the east, but then it was made a national holiday and since then it is celebrated all over the country on the fourth Thursday of November. People cook large dinners with stuffed turkey and pumpkin pie.
When the Pilgrim Fathers arrived in America they were helped by some friendly Indian tribes who taught them how to plant corn, hunt animals and make sweet syrup from the trees. When the Pilgrims celebrated Thanksgiving they invited these friendly tribes.
Independence Day: America was declared indipendent on july 4th, 1776, when the Continental. congress approved the Declaration of Indipendence, with which the Thirteen Colonies broke away from the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Since that day, the Fourth of July has remained the most important annual national holiday in the United States. It is celebrated with parades, picnics, barbecue, speeches, fireworks and and other public and private events celebrating the history , government, and traditions of the United States.
The army fires a thirteen-gun, salute to commemorate the first indipendent states.
Columbus Day: The official date of Christopher Columbus landing in the New World is October 12th but Columbus Day is celebrated throughout the nation on the second Monday in October. It was celebrated for the first time in Italian in San Francisco in 1869.
In New York City there is a huge parade and in San Francisco harbour they re-enact his landing with fishing boats, a group of native Americans ready to greet him and a chosen “Queen Isabella” who later in the celebrations shows Columbus her gratitude.
