On the fourth Thursday in November, Americans celebrate the feast of Thanksgiving. This fe

ast is a time when the family comes together for a meal and gives thanks to God for the blessings they have received. The first thanksgiving feast was celebrated by the early American settlers who started the feast to give thanks to God for their good harvest.

In America Thanksgiving is the family holiday. It is on that holiday that all the family members make a special effort to gather together. The feast is always held on Thursdays and most people have a four-day holiday from school and work. Thus they are able to travel a great distance to be with their family.

The Thanksgiving meal is traditionally turkey which is a large bird valued as food for the first time. The table is filled with fruits, walnuts and many types of vegetables. For the sweet dish the main choice is usually pumpkin pie. The meal is a time for the members of the family to talk to each other. There will be talking before the meal, during the meal and long after the meal.

On Thanksgiving morning there are in many cities sporting events and parades to mark the day. The family dinner is usually held in the afternoon around 4 p.m. The mother will prepare the meal and the father will carve the turkey. He will be seated at the head of the ta- ble. The meal will begin with a short prayer of Thanksgiving to God for the blessings the family received. The father will also thank the family for coming together on this day. Dur- ing the meal there is plenty of food for everyone present. The meal is a very joyful time. When the meal is finished, some will help with the dished and others will return to the living room to talk or watch television.

In many ways the feast of Thanksgiving is similar to the Chinese feast of Mid-Autumn Festival. It is the time for the family to gather together to give thanks and to share in meal.

Thanksgiving is said to be the family holiday in America because______.

A．each family has its own way of celebrating traditional holidays

B．people will try to get back to be with their family wherever they are

C．people celebrate this holiday only at home and abroad

D．it is a holiday for those who have a family