On the fourth Thursday in November, Americans observe Thanksgiving. Although the holiday resembles traditional harvest celebrations common to agricultural societies dating back thousands of years, Thanksgiving honors the experience of the first Europeans to settle in what is today the northeastern United States.
Sometime between September 21 and November 11, 1621, 53 English men, women and children were joined by some 90 native Americans in a feast to give thanks for their first harvest in their new home, the Plymouth Colony in today’s state of Massachusetts.
Having arrived in November of the previous year, they were woefully unprepared for the rigors of a Massachusetts winter. Had it not been for vigorous help from their Wampanoag neighbors, it is likely that none of the 102 Europeans who first stepped off the ship Mayflower and onto American soil, would have lived to see the following spring.
That first Thanksgiving celebration, although it was not yet called that, featured games, military demonstrations, and much rejoicing. And following a religious service, a feast of venison, duck and other fowl, fish and shellfish, along with dried corn and corn bread, vegetables and fruit was enjoyed by all.
That tradition remains to this day, although the menu has changed. Friends and family from near and far now gather around the holiday table where a roast turkey takes pride of place, surrounded by stuffing and cranberry sauce, potatoes and gravy and vegetables of every sort, with a pumpkin pie waiting in the wings. It is still a day for playing games during the day and for watching a football game on television while digesting dinner.
“Throughout our country’s history, this season of reflection and giving thanks comes in good times and tough ones,” said President Joe Biden.
“Before there was a United States of America, the Pilgrims celebrated Thanksgiving in honor of their first successful harvest and the support and generosity of the Wampanoag people who made it possible,” said President Biden.
Thanksgiving began as a prayer of gratitude by immigrants who, if not for the support of their native neighbors, would most likely have not survived their first year in North America. Today, Thanksgiving is a gathering of family and friends, once again offering their gratitude for a chance at a bright future.
