Macy's Parade
Fine fabric made from silkworm threads; highly prized in ancient trade.
Silk
A ruling family that governs for multiple generations.
Dynasty
Metal alloy of copper and tin, used for tools, weapons, and ritual items.
Bronze
Green stone valued in China for its beauty and spiritual importance.
Jade
Rock carvings created by ancient people to record stories or symbols.
Petroglyphs
Stable vessel made with two joined hulls, ideal for long ocean voyages.
Double-hulled canoe
Caterpillar that spins a cocoon of silk thread.
Silkworm
Early Chinese dynasty known for writing, bronze work, and oracle bones.
Shang
Ancient network of trade routes connecting Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
Silk road
Triangular sail used in Austronesian and Polynesian boats.
Crab Claw Sail
This Christmas song was traditionally a Thanksgiving song.
Jingle Bells
Domesticated silkworm species used in silk production.
Bombyx mori
Animal bones or shells used in Shang China for divination.
Oracle bones
Support float attached to a canoe to improve balance on the water.
Outrigger
This tradition brings good luck at Thanksgiving. (Bonus: where did this tradition begin?)
Breaking the wishbone. (Ancient Rome! They believed that birds were oracles capable of foreseeing the future, so by touching their bones, people could manifest good things for their own futures.)
Legendary Chinese ruler who controlled flooding and founded the Xia dynasty.
Yu the Great
Legendary Polynesian explorer credited with discovering New Zealand.
Kupe
What did balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade replace?
Live zoo animals!!!
Seafaring peoples who migrated throughout the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
Austronesians
Traditional navigation using stars, waves, and other natural signs.
Wayfinding
Raised dwellings built to avoid flooding or pests.
Stilt houses
Black Friday is the busiest day of the year for this type of home repairman.
Plumber (gross!)
Diagram of stars used for navigation and wayfinding.
Star Map
This president declared Thanksgiving a national holiday.
Abraham Lincoln
In 1926, President Coolidge famously received this as a Thanksgiving gift.
A live raccoon. (The raccoon was to be served as Thanksgiving dinner. However, the President became so smitten with the furry animal that he pardoned it and adopted it as a pet. He named it Rebecca.)