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THANKSGIVING VOCABULARY 2 (ESL)

level: Intermediate (B1/B2)

This second Thanksgiving vocabulary exercise introduces more words and phrases related to the holiday, its food, and its cultural significance. Start with exercise 1 if you haven't already.

READY TO PRACTICE? LET’S GO!

Choose the best response to complete each sentence.

1. Would you like another (part/piece) of pumpkin pie?✓

2. A (feast/fest) is an elaborate, ceremonial dinner party for many people.✓

3. Some say the (concept/conquest) of Thanksgiving comes from Native American culture. American Indians had celebrations of thanks for centuries before the (arrival/arrivals) of Europeans.✓

4. For many workers, Thanksgiving is what's known as a (payment/paid) holiday.✓

5. (Better/More) so than many other holidays, people see Thanksgiving as a day to spend time with their family. People often (voyage/travel) great distances to be with their families on this day.✓

6. For Thanksgiving dinner, guests often bring food (things/items) or help with cooking in the kitchen. This creates more of a (communal/community) meal.✓

7. Turkey is the (featured/keynote) item in most Thanksgiving feasts.✓

8. I wanted to make a special casserole, but I didn't have all the (ingredients/elements).✓

9. The sauce that one pours over a piece of turkey is called (gravy/groovy).✓

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Thanksgiving Conversation Questions 1. What do you think is the most important part of a Thanksgiving celebration — the food, the people, or the tradition?
2. How do families in your culture typically celebrate major seasonal or harvest holidays?
3. Do you think consumerism (like Black Friday) takes away from the spirit of Thanksgiving? Why?
4. What dish would you contribute to a Thanksgiving meal?
5. Is gratitude something you practice regularly? How?
6. How have holiday traditions in your family changed over the years?

Did you know? The day after Thanksgiving in the United States is known as Black Friday — one of the biggest shopping days of the year. The name is thought to come from the accounting practice of writing profits in black ink: retailers hoped the post-Thanksgiving shopping rush would push their finances "into the black" after months of losses.

Turkey pardoning is a White House tradition in which the U.S. President officially spares a turkey from being eaten at Thanksgiving. The ceremony has been a formal annual event since 1989, though informal pardons go back decades earlier.