Vocabulary · Seasons and celebrations
Thanksgiving in English
B1
Thanksgiving in English: the history of the Pilgrims and the Mayflower, the turkey dinner, family words, Black Friday and how to wish someone a happy Thanksgiving. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
The holiday and its history
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving(n.) | a US and Canadian harvest holiday | /ˌθæŋksˈɡɪvɪŋ/ | “Thanksgiving is in November.” |
| pilgrim(n.) | an early English settler in America | /ˈpɪlɡrɪm/ | “The pilgrims arrived in 1620.” |
| Native American(n.) | one of America's first peoples | /ˈneɪtɪv əˈmerɪkən/ | “Native Americans helped the pilgrims survive.” |
| harvest(n.) | crops gathered at the end of summer | /ˈhɑːvɪst/ | “They celebrated the first harvest.” |
| tradition(n.) | something people have done for years | /trəˈdɪʃən/ | “It's a family tradition.” |
| feast(n.) | a very big, special meal | /fiːst/ | “We prepare a big feast.” |
Food
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| turkey(n.) | a large bird eaten at big meals | /ˈtɜːki/ | “We eat turkey for Thanksgiving.” |
| stuffing(n.) | a bread mix cooked inside a bird | /ˈstʌfɪŋ/ | “Mom makes the best stuffing.” |
| cranberry sauce(n.) | a sweet and sour red berry sauce | /ˈkrænbəri sɔːs/ | “Pass the cranberry sauce, please.” |
| pumpkin pie(n.) | a sweet orange tart for dessert | /ˈpʌmpkɪn paɪ/ | “Pumpkin pie is the classic dessert.” |
| mashed potatoes(n.) | cooked potatoes crushed until soft | /mæʃt pəˈteɪtəʊz/ | “I love mashed potatoes with gravy.” |
| gravy(n.) | a hot sauce made from meat juices | /ˈɡreɪvi/ | “Pour the gravy on top.” |
| corn(n.) | yellow grains that grow on a cob | /kɔːn/ | “Corn is a traditional Thanksgiving side.” |
| sweet potato(n.) | an orange root vegetable | /swiːt pəˈteɪtəʊ/ | “Sweet potato casserole is a classic.” |
With the family
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| family(n.) | parents, children and other relatives | /ˈfæmɪli/ | “My whole family is here.” |
| to gather(v.) | to come together in one place | /ˈɡæðə/ | “We gather around the table.” |
| to be thankful (for)(phrase) | to feel happy and grateful | /biː ˈθæŋkfʊl/ | “I'm thankful for my family.” |
| gratitude(n.) | the feeling of being thankful | /ˈɡrætɪtjuːd/ | “We express our gratitude.” |
| blessing(n.) | something good you are lucky to have | /ˈblesɪŋ/ | “Count your blessings.” |
Culture
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| parade(n.) | a big public march with music | /pəˈreɪd/ | “We watched the Macy's parade on TV.” |
| Black Friday(n.) | the big sales day after Thanksgiving | /blæk ˈfraɪdeɪ/ | “Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving.” |
| leftovers(n.) | uneaten food kept for later | /ˈleftəʊvəz/ | “We eat turkey leftovers for days!” |
| Mayflower(n.) | the Pilgrims' ship in 1620 | /ˈmeɪflaʊə/ | “The Mayflower carried 102 pilgrims.” |
| cornucopia(n.) | a horn full of fruit and vegetables | /ˌkɔːnjʊˈkəʊpiə/ | “The cornucopia symbolises abundance.” |
Common mistakes to avoid
Two dates: the United States and Canada
In the United States, Thanksgiving is on the fourth Thursday of November. In Canada, it is on the second Monday of October, because the harvest comes earlier in the cold north. If you say Happy Thanksgiving to a Canadian in late November, they will be surprised: for them, it was about six weeks ago.
turkey or Turkey?
With a capital letter, Turkey is the country. With a small letter, turkey is the bird you eat at Thanksgiving. It is the same word with two meanings. The bird got its name because Europeans once thought it came from the country, through Turkish traders.
Thankful or grateful?
Both words mean you feel thanks for something. Thankful is the usual word at Thanksgiving, for a feeling on that day. Grateful is often deeper and lasts longer: I'm so grateful for everything you've done. At the table, people say I'm thankful for…
I'm thankful of ❌: say thankful for
Use I'm thankful for + noun (for my family, for my health) or I'm thankful that + a full sentence (that everyone is here). I'm thankful of ❌ is a common mistake: the preposition is always for.
Practice quiz
Related pages: Thanksgiving
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
What's next?
Thanksgiving: learn these words for good
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Frequently asked questions
What is Thanksgiving?+
Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States, on the fourth Thursday of November. Families get together for a big meal with roast turkey, and everyone says what they are thankful for. It goes back to 1621, when the Pilgrims of the Mayflower and the Wampanoag people shared a harvest meal in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
What food do people eat at Thanksgiving?+
The classic meal has turkey, stuffing (a bread mix cooked inside the turkey), cranberry sauce (a sweet and sour red sauce), mashed potatoes, gravy (a sauce made from the meat juices), corn and sweet potato casserole. For dessert, people eat pumpkin pie.
Why is Black Friday the day after Thanksgiving?+
Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving. Shops in the United States have huge sales on that day, and now many other countries have them too. It is the start of Christmas shopping. A popular explanation of the name: shops sell so much that their accounts go “into the black”, which means they make a profit.
What does “be thankful” mean?+
To be thankful means to feel happy and grateful for something. At the Thanksgiving table, each person says what they are thankful for: I'm thankful for my family, my health and my friends. Always use for + noun after it, not of.
What is the history of Thanksgiving?+
In 1620, the ship Mayflower brought 102 Pilgrims from England to North America. The first winter was terrible: about half of them died of hunger and cold. In spring, the Wampanoag people showed them how to grow corn and how to hunt. In autumn 1621, the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag shared a big harvest feast. People see this meal as the first Thanksgiving.
Do people celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK?+
Not really. Thanksgiving is an American and Canadian holiday. In the UK, it is a normal working day, and most British families do not have a turkey dinner in November. But Black Friday sales are now very popular in British shops too.
How do you wish someone a happy Thanksgiving?+
The simplest way is Happy Thanksgiving! A warmer message is Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family! To a friend who is going home for the holiday, you can also say Enjoy your turkey! It is friendly and very natural.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/vocabulary/thanksgiving
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.