Celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November, the Thanksgiving Day, which has a Christian origin, has now become a secular celebration in North America.

This holiday commemorates the day when in 1621 the colonial communities of European peasants gathered with the Wampanoag tribe to thank God for offering them the first maize crop and bringing them happiness throughout the year: since then, wild turkeys and pigeons are offered to God every year. 

The notion of gratitude however, was already present in the Native American culture. Many are the prayers where people thank Nature for what it is being offered to them.

Here is an Iroquois poem known as "Thanksgiving":

"We thank Him for all the fruits that grow on the trees and vines.
We thank Him for his goodness in making the forests, and thank you all its trees.
We thank him for the darkness that gives us the rest of the world.
We thank Him for the bright spots in the skies that give us signs, the stars.
We give Him thanks for our fans, who had charge of our harvests.
We thank the Great Spirit that we have the privilege of this pleasant occasion."

On American tables, tasty and multi-faceted flavors and smells enliven the cozy atmosphere that all Americans look forward to throughout the year. On the menu for this gargantuan overseas celebration: stuffed turkey with mashed sweet potatoes and cranberry jelly, corn, apple stuffing and finally a pumpkin pie with a Thanksgiving punch (garnished with cranberry juice, lemonade, ginger ale and lemon peel).