On Thanksgiving Day American people get (1) __ with their families and friends to give thanks for the past year. It is celebrated (2) ____ big dinners and special food.

(3) __ December, 1620, over 100 pilgrims came to America on the ship called the Mayflower and landed at Plymouth Rock. The following winter was very hard and they didn’t have enough to eat, so more (4) __ half of them died. The next year friendly Indians helped them grow corn. The harvest was good and the governor of the colony, William Bradford, organised a festival to thank God for the food that he (5) __ given them. The first Thanksgiving of 1621 lasted for three days. Men shot ducks, geese and turkey and caught fish. Ninety Indians came (6) __ the colonists and celebrated with them. As time went on the custom of Thanksgiving spread from Plymouth to other New England colonies, but (7) __ many years to come the new country had no national Thanksgiving Day. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln formally proclaimed that Thanksgiving should be celebrated (8) __ the last Thursday of November. Today, the fourth Thursday in November is a holiday all over the United States. The turkey has become the symbol of Thanksgiving. Roast turkey with cranberry sauce is one of the (9) __ popular meals that Americans have.