For many people, Thanksgiving is all about food—sharing a delicious meal of turkey with all the fixings with family and friends around a beautifully set table. While the holiday has become overshadowed by Black Friday sales, shopping, and decorating for Christmas, it’s important to understand the history of Thanksgiving and to give thanks for everything.
In 1620, the Mayflower ship, carrying 132 men, women, and children from England and Holland — known as Pilgrims —had landed at Plymouth Bay. They had a harsh first winter in the New World and would not have survived without the assistance and knowledge passed from the Native Americans. https://www.post-gazette.com/local/south/2010/11/24/Native-Americans-played-crucial-role-in-settlers-survival/stories/201011240253
The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in October or early November 1621 at Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts by the Pilgrims in celebration of their first harvest. This occasion of the first harvest brought together ninety Native Americans and fifty-three Pilgrims. Everyone celebrated the harvest and shared in its bounty at this first Thanksgiving.
In this three-day celebration, the Native Americans and Pilgrims shared food and gave thanks to God for their safety, for the health of their children, for the fertility of their fields, and for the love that bound them together. The feast consisted of waterfowl, wild turkey, venison, lobster, clams, berries, fruit, pumpkin, and squash. The Wampanoag Indians contributed five deer for the celebration.
Thanksgiving has been observed annually in the United States since 1863. On June 28, 1870, the Holidays Act, was enacted making Thanksgiving a yearly federal holiday in Washington, D.C. On January 6, 1885, an act by Congress made Thanksgiving, the fourth Thursday in November, a paid holiday for all federal workers throughout the United States. Fast forward to today, and the Thanksgiving tradition of gathering with loved ones and giving thanks continues.
Kitchen Ink provides easy recipes for kids to make and contribute to the Thanksgiving menu. We wish everyone a happy, safe, and delicious Thanksgiving, and thank all of you for your continued support. Enjoy!