Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day is a celebration

of harvest, thankfulness for peace, and

the attempt of Native Americans. It is celebrated

in late autumn. In the past, Thanksgiving was

celebrated for their rich harvest in New England.

In North America, however, it was originally held to

thank God for their survival in the new land which

was not easy for them. However, in Canada, it had

been celebrated as in New England. Thanksgiving

now is celebrated in United States of America and

in Canada. Thanksgiving festivals are held every

fourth Thursday of November in the U.S and on the second Monday of October in Canada. It is

usually celebrated in four to fi ve days in the North America and for three days in Canada.

It is celebrated through families and friends gathering to eat and give good luck. Turkey is the

main dish in the thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving parades are also usually held.

In Thanksgiving homes are decorated with wreaths, fresh and dried fl owers. Lamps are lighted

to brighten the environment. Tables are decorated with best china and antique silver dishes to

mark the occasion.

                                                                Taken from: Interlanguage: English for Senior High School Students XI

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Home Schooling

Home schooling is an education system which provides child’s main education programme at home. Home schooling takes the place of full-time school attendance and, in the United States and Canada, it usually meets state requirements for compulsory education.

Although home schooling could achieve the objectives of compulsory education, there are some points that should be noticed from the home schooling.

First, the idea of taking our children’s education on home schooling can be a bit intimidating. Since our country is so large and the people are from so many different kinds of backgrounds, students need some kind of social glue to make them stick together and to give them a sense of unity in spite of all the differences. They will not get such a unity when they are in home schooling. They will get the sense of unity when they are in the compulsory public schools since it is the easiest and best places to make this glue.

Then, the home schooling may not be able to prepare children to fi t into the mass society, which means, among other things, believing what most people believe and liking what most people like. Or it may not be able to help children to fi nd a set of values with which they could resist and reject at least many of the values of the mass society.

Recognizing the lack of home schooling in the case of children’s socialization opportunity, we should afford them abundant social opportunities.

We can have active home school support groups. We can hold ongoing park days, meetings at the zoo, the science museum, book clubs, history clubs, language clubs, home school scouting troops and many more options to provide them opportunities to socialize with others.

Source: Interlanguage: English for Senior High School Students XI

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