【小记者稿件】在美国，感恩节和“黑色星期五”是怎样的节日？

在“黑色星期五”当天，为了在售罄前拿到最棒的折扣，很多美国人会在0点开始就到商店外等候。

东南网美国11月25讯（小记者 吴安安）感恩节在美国是一个全国性的假期。成年人有一天的假期，而学生则可以休息一星期。感恩节当天，家庭成员们会团聚在一起共享大餐。

感恩节之所以成为美国人的主要节日之一，这要追溯到美国历史的发端，同时也与它现在对美国人的影响力关系密切。从根本上说，这个节日起源于1621年，早期踏上美国土地的清教徒为了庆祝丰收季节而举行的连续三天的仪式。

美国人通常以家庭团聚的方式庆祝这个节日。但其实，感恩节晚宴才是最受期待的。通常，餐桌上会有一整只烤火鸡以及数不清的配菜，包括土豆泥、番薯和南瓜饼等。感恩节最突出的传统就是吃火鸡，这是因为自1620年代人们开始庆祝感恩节，感恩节大餐就是由许多家庭一起享用的。火鸡显然要比鸡、鸭大很多，一整只火鸡可以喂饱一桌饥饿的人，这一点，一只鸡是做不到的。

对于我自己而言，感恩节假期中我最爱的部分是“黑色星期五”。感恩节被定为每年11月的第四个星期四，而感恩节之后的周五又是另一个全国性的传统。“黑色星期五”当天，所有的商店会给出长达24小时的巨大折扣和优惠。为了在售罄前拿到最棒的折扣，很多美国人会在0点开始就到商店外等候。去年，我早晨六点就起床和家人一起去商场用最棒的折扣购物。这一天之所以叫“黑色星期五”，是因为在市场产业中，黑色意味着利润，而红色代表了亏损。

除了美食和购物，感恩节给我们时间去传递祝福，向我们爱的人表示感谢。感恩节餐桌上的一项传统就是由每一位家庭成员分享生活的点滴，表达自己的感恩之情。拥有美好的家庭、遮风挡雨的房子、满桌丰盛的食物让我们意识到自己是如此幸运。

通常，感恩节晚宴的餐桌上会有一整只烤火鸡以及数不清的配菜。

What is Thanksgiving and Black Friday?

By Frances Goyokpin

In the United States, Thanksgiving Day is a nationwide holiday where people get a day off of work and students get a week off of school, and families gather together to enjoy a massive Thanksgiving meal.

The reason behind why this is a major holiday in the US is because of how far it dates back to the roots of American History, and the effect it has set upon America to this day. Essentially, this holiday is based on a 3 day harvest celebration that was celebrated after a successful harvest season by early American pilgrims back in 1621.

Americans typically commemorate this day by having family gatherings. However, the Thanksgiving dinner is what is anticipated the most. What you would find at a usual Thanksgiving table would be a whole roasted turkey(as shown in the picture), along with numerous side dishes, including mashed potatoes, yams, and pumpkin pie. It is a prominent tradition to eat turkey at Thanksgiving feasts, because from the beginning to when it was celebrated in the 1620s, a Thanksgiving feast was always eaten by many families together. Therefore, since turkeys are undoubtedly bigger than chickens or ducks, a whole turkey would suffice a table of hungry people instead of just one chicken.

Personally, my favorite part of the Thanksgiving vacation is Black Friday. Since Thanksgiving is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of every November, the Friday after Thanksgiving Day is also another nationwide tradition. Black Friday is a 24 hour long period of massive sales and deals throughout all stores. Many Americans like to wait outside of stores at times as early as 12 am, in order to get a hold of the best deals before it gets sold out. Last year, I woke up at 6 am to go shopping with my family at the mall to buy from the stores with the best discounts. This day is called “Black Friday” because in the marketing industry, the color black indicates profit, while red represents money loss.

In addition to the food and the shopping, Thanksgiving gives us time to reflect on our blessings and to show gratitude to our loved ones. A common tradition at the Thanksgiving dinner table would be for each family member to say something in their life they are thankful for. We recognize our privileges and our good fortune to be able to have a family, a roof over our heads, and food on the table.