Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving History

The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621 by the first English religious dissenters who arrived in America – the “Pilgrim Fathers.”

These colonists suffered terrible hardships at first, but thanks to the help of friendly Indians, they learned how to grow native food and to net fish, which was the main factor to their survival in the new homeland.

After the first harvest was completed, Gov. William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving and prayer, shared by all the Pilgrims and their Indian neighbors. They enjoyed a huge feast of turkey, deer, duck and delicious dishes from corn, cranberries, squash and pumpkins. Besides eating, they also sang, danced played games and had athletic contests. The celebration lasted three days!

Thanksgiving Day was officially declared as a national holiday in the U.S., in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln.