The History of
Thanksgiving
Traditionally, and in the
public mind, the first Thanksgiving Day occurred in 1621 when the Plymouth
Pilgrim community joined in a feast with local Indians to celebrate the first
harvest that the colonists had reaped on American soil.
Indeed, 90 Indians and
53 Pilgrims feasted for three days at that event, and it was an official day of
giving thanks to God for his blessings. However, the colonists were only
carrying on the Calvinist Protestant tradition of designating special public
days of thanksgiving for the blessings of the Almighty. It was really not something
new in kind.
The feast probably did
include turkey since William Bradford informs us in his Of Plymouth Plantation
that the land had a "great store of wild turkeys, of which they took
many." Incidentally, there is indication that the colonists were familiar
with turkey from back in England, even though it was a native American bird.
That is because the Spanish had brought back and popularized turkey in Europe
in the 1600's, and in England, it had become a major competitor to goose for
Christmas dinners. The exact date of this thanksgiving feast is uncertain, but
it seems to have happened in late September or early November.
Be
blessed and be a blessing! Enjoy this day, sharing it with family and friends!!!
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