Thanksgiving is a Federal holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the USA.
Traditionally, this holiday celebrates the giving of thanks for the autumn harvest.
In 2020 Thanksgiving is on the 26th November.
The history of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving combines the traditions of different groups of people. Travellers and migrants brought different religious traditions from Europe to the United State. Several celebrations are claimed as the first Thanksgiving.
The best known is the celebration held by the pilgrims in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts after their journey across the Atlantic Ocean on the famous Mayflower ship. Like the pilgrims, many groups held days of prayer, fasting or feasting to give thanks for successfully making the long boat journey. Later, settlers celebrated their successful harvest in a new land by holding feasts with their Native American neighbours.
Thanksgiving today
Although its origins are religious, today, Thanksgiving is a largely secular holiday. For most Americans, it is a day for coming together with family and friends to share a large meal. It is an occasion to spend time with loved ones and express gratitude for the year that has passed. In many households there is a tradition of everyone seated at the table sharing what they are most grateful for.
Thanksgiving food
Thanksgiving is also about food. Thanksgiving dinner traditionally includes roast turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and, for dessert, apple, pumpkin or pecan pies. Every family has its own recipes, sometimes secret recipes handed down through generations. Turkey, a bird native to North America, is the unofficial mascot of Thanksgiving, with roast turkey on the menu and turkey decorations on the wall.
More than food: football, parades and traffic jams!
Beyond food and gratitude, there are some unexpected sides to the American holiday. One of these is football. This popular sport is an important part of the holiday, when families gather around to cheer on local or national teams.
Parades are another common part of the festivities. In the United States, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York City on the morning of Thanksgiving. It’s one of the world’s largest parades and is broadcast nationwide.
And now… here’s a recipe for you!
THANKSGIVING TURKEY
INGREDIENTI
1 tacchino di circa 4 kg
200 gr di prugne secche denocciolate
150 gr di mais dolce lessato
10 fette di pancarré
4 fette di bacon
10 gr di maizena
1,5 dl di latte
15 gr di zucchero
salvia, sale, prezzemolo, olio e burro a piacimento.
Rosolate in una padella con burro e olio, il mais, le prugne, la salvia, il bacon e la cipolla tritata. Uniteli poi in una ciotola con prezzemolo, sale, pepe e pancarré spezzettato, versate il latte e lasciate rapprendere il tutto.
Farcite poi il tacchino con il ripieno strizzato dal latte, spennellate di olio e mettetelo nel forno in una teglia coprendolo con un foglio di alluminio. Il forno sarà già caldo a 220° e dovrete cuocere il tacchino per una mezz’ora circa. Trascorsi i 30 minuti, abbassate il calore del forno a 160° e fatelo cuocere ancora per circa 3 ore, durante le quali spennellerete spesso il pollo, bagnandolo con il suo sugo di cottura. Ricordatevi di coprirlo sempre con l’alluminio.
Caramellate in un pentolino lo zucchero con 1 cucchiaio di acqua, aggiungete poi la maizena sciolta in poca acqua, il sugo di cottura e fate addensare il tutto a fiamma bassa. Fate sbollire la salsa fino a raggiungere una media densità poi toglietela dal fuoco e versatela in una salsiera: verrà servita insieme al tacchino.
ENJOY YOUR MEAL!
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