Thanksgiving

Each year, on the fourth Thursday in November, many Americans gather around the table with their families to eat a large feast. Do you know why this is so? It is a celebration of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving started back with the Pilgrims. The year was 1621. The Pilgrims had survived a very difficult winter. The next fall they had a great harvest. They were so grateful that they decided to have a feast to celebrate. They invited 91 Native Americans to join them.

The Pilgrims and guests gathered around a large table to eat. There were games, races, and other activities. The celebration lasted three days. We don’t know if they really did have turkey, but they did have some kind of bird, as well as venison (meat from deer). They didn’t have pumpkin pie because there wasn’t enough flour for that. They did have pumpkin that had been boiled and softened. They also had berries, fruit, nuts, and fish.

It wasn’t until 1777 that all 13 colonies celebrated Thanksgiving. A lady named Sarah Hale wrote articles in magazines about how important it was to celebrate Thanksgiving. Finally in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving to be celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. In 1941, Thanksgiving became an official national holiday. Thanksgiving has been celebrated ever since.