Thanksgiving Day is, unsurprisingly, a day on which people from the US and Canada give thanks. But what are they saying thank you for? And to whom are they saying it?

The holiday is closely connected to the harvest (收成). Since time began, cultures and people have been thanking the gods for a good harvest. Although the harvest is no longer a big part of most Americans' lives, the tradition of saying thank you for it continues.

When the Europeans arrived in what is now the United States, or "the New World" as they called it, they were nervous. The food was different, and a little strange. There are even some stories of European settlers (移民者) died because they didn't believe the food there. In 1621, though, English settlers enjoyed a very good harvest. They held a big dinner to celebrate, and the tradition of thanksgiving began.

Nowadays, thanksgiving is a chance for Americans to get together with their families and enjoy delicious meals. They usually eat turkey, because turkeys were very common in the New World. They also eat pumpkin pies for pretty much the same reason.

So whom exactly are they thanking? Well, probably not the gods anymore. Mostly, people see thanksgiving as a chance to be thankful for everything they have in life: food, family and friends. In a way, they are thanking each other.