Thanksgiving

How It All Began

It all starts with the Pilgrims, religious separatists (for the most part) from England, and early settlers, who immigrated to America on their ship, the Mayflower, and landed in what is today known as Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620.

Their first year adapting to life in a new land was treacherous – more than half of the settlers died in that first winter. They were foreign to the land, and as a result, unfamiliar with how to hunt, yield sufficient crop for their population, and prepare themselves for the merciless winter.

Though Plymouth was new to the Pilgrims, it was already inhabited by indigenous people; Native Americans from the Wampanoag tribe had been living there, and came into contact with the Pilgrims shortly after they began populating the area. With the Native Americans’ help, along with Squanto acting as an interpreter and guide between the two populations, the Pilgrims learned how to harvest the land and ultimately, survive.

Though the relationship between the Pilgrims and Native Americans is actually a lot more complicated and antagonistic than most American history books might let on, ultimately, it was thanks to the Native Americans helping the Pilgrims that they were able to have a successful harvest. As a result, the Pilgrims and Native Americans joined together for a three-day-long celebration and autumn harvest feast to commemorate their success, recognized and replicated today as Thanksgiving.

The exact menu of the “first” Thanksgiving meal shared by the Pilgrims and Native Americans is unconfirmed, but it’s reported the celebratory fare included deer, some sort of fowl (turkey, chicken, or duck), and seasonable vegetables like corn, pumpkin, and carrots.

When It Became a Holiday

Thanksgiving has been celebrated on-and-off over the years, first unofficially deemed as a national holiday by George Washington, and then later officially as a federal holiday by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 during the Civil War. It was President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s who set the official celebration date to the fourth Thursday of November every year.

What Americans Do Today

Hundreds of years later, Americans still celebrate Thanksgiving by coming together to share an autumn harvest meal – albeit, a slightly different one than the Pilgrims and Native Americans shared.

Modern Thanksgiving Day is a celebration of working together, neighbors helping each other, sharing appreciation, and giving thanks. Americans use this day to reflect upon everything they have to be thankful for, while in the company of family and friends.

Though all Americans celebrate in their own way, traditionally, the modern Thanksgiving meal consists of turkey, along with famous side dishes like stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and desserts like pumpkin pie.

You can join in the celebration by attending a friend’s Thanksgiving meal with their family, or by hosting your own. But you don’t need to cook an elaborate meal to participate, as long as you’re sharing a meal with friends, and giving thanks for the things in your life, you’re celebrating Thanksgiving.