Now Your Turn
A: Will you be spending the Thanksgiving holiday with us this year?
B: No, I'm flying back to the States to spend the holiday with my mother and brother. I haven't seen my family for over a year. You see, Thanksgiving is a big family holiday
A: In China the Mid-Autumn Festival is also a holiday for family reunions. Do you happen to know the origin of Thanksgiving?
B: It began as a celebration by the Pilgrims. They were happy just to have survived their first harsh winter in the new land in 1621.
A: I'm not quite sure of the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival, but it is said to have something to do with Lady Chang'er who flew to the moon. On a day of full moon her husband longed for her to return to earth. So this may have something to do with family reunions
B: Thanksgiving is also an occasion to celebrate the harvest. The Pilgrims' first harsh winter was followed by an abundant harvest. That was good reason to celebrate
A: Most cultures have some sort of celebration of the harvest. In fact the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is a festival to celebrate the harvest month, since fruits, vegetables and grain have been harvested by this time and food is abundant.
B: To observe Thanksgiving, Americans eat turkey, ham, corn-on-the-cob, yams, peas and carrots, and to top it all off, pumpkin pie.
A: Oh, just thinking about all that food makes my mouth water. We Chinese eat moon cakes to mark the occasion. The round moon cakes symbolize a family reunion
B: Thanksgiving in the States has developed into a major holiday
A: The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important festivals in China, too. It's sometimes believed to be the second most important holiday, next only to the Spring Festival. |