Could someone explain Thanksgiving?

Hey
so im from New Zealand and I haven't got a clue what Thanksgiving is...could someone please explain so I dont get lost when reading some posts?

Thanks

TURKEY! =)

very simple. just an American celebration of the past. it's within the history. Pilgrims, Mayflower. all your questions can be answered with a history book or google!

So is it kind of a celebration of the past and what made America?
Sort of like how we celebrate Waitangi Day? - the signing of a treaty that bought NZ to where it is now?

Mhmp! exactly =)

also, a day of giving thanks.

Ok thanks!!
now I get what everyone is talking about lol

It's kind of silly, because actually there's not much historical evidence to say that the famed dinner between native americans and pilgrims even existed, and afterwords we repayed their generousity be taking over their lands and killing them in the thousands, but, you know, we aren't very thankful in america

Well, it's sorta the same with any celebration that was supposed to be an agreement between two races, aboriginiens(sp), arabs, africans, all those and white people(the english). I mean maori's wouldn't agree with Waitangi day as being a glorious day of peace, I mean people talk a lot about the tree on one tree hill being a sign of peace and agreement between the english and maori's but maori's hate that tree, they tryed to cut it for years before it got too old and weak to stand.

I know that as i am part maori and was part of many protests. we did end up cutting it down and some of us were fined for doing so. is that correct?

Yup, I think they arrested some of them too.
But I don't think it was the maori's who cut it, it was already damaged from the attempts, so Austrailia agreed to plant one in it's place if they cut it down.

One guy was arrested...and no australia did not agree to that...they have nothing to do with it...we have no tree there now so its called no tree hill.

There are many trees there, just not the original tree. the stump is still there though. or maybe I'm thinking of the wrong One Tree Hill..

My information is old so that's why I got wrong information, I left New Zealand years ago and the last thing I remember was that Australia was going to plant one.
Anyways, updated now, so maori's are probaby more happy now that the tree is gone. the "no tree hill" part is funny.
Oh and blankheart there are tree's there it's just that this one was famous because of the treaty and it was on the peak and it wasn't a native NewZealand tree so it used to be called called "one" tree hill.