Simple Thanksgiving Video

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 21 November 2023 > Webpicks

This 4-minute video is a simple explanation of Thanksgiving, designed for young learners in the U.S.A. It would work well in an ESL classroom. We’ve indicated the content of the sections if you don’t want to use the whole thing. The voiceover is slow and understanding is helped by the images. You could use sections … Continue reading “Simple Thanksgiving Video”

Thanksgiving Parade

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 21 November 2022 > Celebrate

Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in New York City is almost 100 years old, and is an integral part of the annual holiday for millions of Americans. Celebrating Thanksgiving and launching Christmas celebrations, it includes giant balloon figures, floats, and marching bands from schools around the country. This year it will take place on 24 November. Macy’s … Continue reading “Thanksgiving Parade”

400 Years of Thanksgiving

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 25 November 2021 > In the News

This year sees the 400th anniversary of the ancestor of today’s Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S.A. 400 years after the meal shared by Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians in Massachusetts, efforts are gaining ground to see the event from the points of view of both communities. When the Mayflower brought 102 Puritans to New England in … Continue reading “400 Years of Thanksgiving”

Why Black Friday?

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 23 November 2021 > Celebrate

As Black Friday approaches, we wonder why a specifically American date in the commercial calendar has taken over first the internet and now high-street shops around the world. Black Friday is the day after the U.S. Thanksgiving, which falls on the fourth Thursday in November. It’s a long weekend and approximately a month before Christmas. … Continue reading “Why Black Friday?”

A Native American View of Thanksgiving

Posted by Speakeasy News > Sunday 21 November 2021 > Celebrate

Today, there is growing awareness that the “Thanksgiving story” told to young schoolchildren in the U.S.A., which provides much of the traditional imagery of the holiday, is just that: a story. Many Native Americans denounce the hypocrisy of portraying this origin story of the nation as a peaceful and cooperative meeting of peoples, when in … Continue reading “A Native American View of Thanksgiving”

Thanksgiving Despite Coronavirus

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 20 November 2020 > In the News

Many countries in Europe have instituted lockdowns with the aim of reducing coronavirus transmissions enough to allow their populations to have a semblance of a normal Christmas. In the U.S., the problem of family get-togethers is a whole month earlier, with Thanksgiving, which falls this year on Thursday 26 November. With COVID-19 infections spiking all … Continue reading “Thanksgiving Despite Coronavirus”

The Mayflower 400 Years On

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 07 August 2020 > Ready to Use

Four hundred years ago, on 16 September 1620, the Mayflower set sail from England, carrying the Pilgrim Fathers (and Mothers!) to found the first permanent British colony in North America. This A1+ article gives very basic information, to allow young learners to start building up a cultural competence about the founding of the U.S.A., Puritans … Continue reading “The Mayflower 400 Years On”

Thanksgiving

Posted by Speakeasy News > Saturday 14 October 2017 > Celebrate

Many in the U.S. consider Thanksgiving the most American of holidays. The feast appeals to every religious and ethnic group, honours a turning point in American history, and encourages a spirit of good will. Plus, Thanksgiving offers one of the best meals of the year! In 1620, a group of 102 British people men, women … Continue reading “Thanksgiving”