Hey, do we have to send thank you notes to everyone we've ever met for Thanksgiving?
Oh no, it's not like that.
Thanksgiving is more about enjoying turkey and pie with family and friends, not writing thank you notes to everyone.
Hi, welcome to a special podcast about Thanksgiving.
I'm Georgiana, your English teacher, and I want to tell you about Thanksgiving.
Before we start, get the transcript of this episode for free.
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That would mean a lot.
Thanks.
Okay, let's start.
Thanksgiving is celebrated in the us and canada.
It's a special day when people express their gratitude for things like family and food, so why people celebrate this holiday?
Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for good things.
Many people Have a big meal with family and friends.
When is it celebrated?
Thanksgiving is on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States.
In Canada, it's on the second Monday of October.
What's the origin of this holiday?
Thanksgiving began long ago, when pilgrims from England came to America on a ship called the Mayflower.
Pilgrims are people who have a tough journey because of their religion, and these ones came to America so they could practice their religion freely.
When they came to America, it was tough.
It was cold. and they didn't have much food.
But Native Americans showed the pilgrims how to grow food, like corn, beans, and squash.
In 1621, the pilgrims had a good harvest during the fall because of what they learned from the Native Americans.
So, they had a big meal together to say thank you and celebrate.
The feast is known as the first Thanksgiving.
Since then, Thanksgiving has been a special day when people come together with their families.
They usually eat turkey, potatoes, veggies, and pie.
Some people also watch parades and football games on TV.
As you can see, Thanksgiving is a wonderful day celebrated in the United States and Canada.
Even if you're from another place.
It's good to remember that Thanksgiving is all about being thankful and enjoying time with your loved ones.
Let's continue with a point of view lesson.
I will tell the same story twice, so make sure to focus on the changes.
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Okay, let's start.
Joe feels excited and a bit nervous.
His American friend, Mike, has asked him to join his family for Thanksgiving.
In Joe's mind, Thanksgiving is about saying thanks, like sending cards with kind words.
So he spends a long time getting ready.
He buys cards, writes lovely messages, and packs a big suitcase. full of those thank you notes.
When Joe arrives at Mike's house, everyone says hello with big smiles and hugs.
Joe quickly shows his suitcase full of thank you cards, hoping they will like them.
Mike's family is a bit confused, but finds it funny, and they look at each other in surprise.
Mike trying not to laugh too much, explains to Joe that Thanksgiving is really about being together eating delicious food and saying thanks for good things.
Joe feels a bit embarrassed, but also relieved.
During the day, Joe learns how to cook some traditional dishes, talks about his own experiences and, most importantly, feels the warmth and togetherness that Thanksgiving brings to American families.
The dinner is cheerful, with laughter, stories, and tasty food.
Even though he initially feels a bit out of place, Joe soon feels like part of the group.
He even gives some of his cards, which makes everyone smile and laugh.
At the end of the day, as Joe says goodbye, he realizes that, even though he didn't understand it at first, he has really felt the true spirit of Thanksgiving.
Being thankful, sharing, and enjoying each other's company.
With a lighter suitcase, but a happy heart.
Joe knows this will be an experience he will never forget.
Great!
Let's listen to the story one more time in the past tense, in the second person.
On a chilly morning, you felt excited and a bit nervous.
Your American friend Mike had asked you to join his family for Thanksgiving.
In your mind, Thanksgiving was about saying thanks, like sending cards with kind words.
So, you spent a long time getting ready.
You bought cards, wrote lovely messages, and packed a big suitcase. full of these thank you notes.
When you arrived at Mike's house, everyone said hello with big smiles and hugs.
You quickly showed your suitcase, full of thank you cards, hoping they would like them.
Mike's family was a little confused but found it funny and they looked at each other with surprise.
Mike, trying not to laugh too much, explained that Thanksgiving was about being together eating delicious food and saying thanks for good things.
You felt a bit embarrassed, but also relieved.
During the day, you learned how to cook some traditional dishes, talked about your own experiences and, most importantly, felt the warmth and togetherness that Thanksgiving brought to American families.
The dinner was happy, with laughter, stories, and tasty food.
Even though you felt a bit out of place, you soon felt part of the group.
You even gave some of your cards, which made everyone smile and laugh.
At the end of the day, as you said goodbye, you realized that, even though you didn't understand it at first, you had really felt the true spirit of thanksgiving.
Being thankful, sharing, and enjoying each other's company.
With a lighter suitcase, but a happy heart, you knew this would be an experience you would never forget.
Great!
I hope you enjoyed this special story about Thanksgiving.
I'm really thankful for having you.
I like these kind of stories because they're easy to remember and help a lot with learning English.
Humor also makes learning more enjoyable.
You can find this method in my premium courses.
Take a look at speakenglishpodcast.com slash courses to get my premium courses.
They are designed for learning by listening.
Also, if you want to help me share the podcast with your friends and family, that would mean a lot.
Thanks.
See you soon.
Bye-bye.
