We Know the Food is Delicious! But Do You Know How Thanksgiving Came About?

 
The fourth Thursday of every November marks a special holiday that many of us sit down with our families, go around the table and say what we are thankful for and enjoy endless amounts of turkey, potatoes, stuffing and pie. But with all of the hype about the holiday season and people stressing out about their menu and how many dinner guests there are going to have, some forget how Thanksgiving all began.

Weakened by the harsh winter that the Europeans weren’t expecting after their travels across the Atlantic, the passengers aboard the Mayflower were relieved when the snow melted away and spring came to be in what is now New England, Massachusetts. After the treacherous winter due to outbreaks of contagious diseases and other illnesses, only half the amounts of passengers from the Mayflower were still alive. Passengers were soon greeted by an Abenaki Indian and another Native American named Squanto from the Pawtuxet tribe. Squanto taught these pilgrims how to cultivate corn, catch fish in rivers, avoid harmful plants and wildlife and helped form an alliance between the pilgrims and another local tribe the Wampanoag,

The first Thanksgiving was in November 1621 after the pilgrims first corn harvest was successful, the pilgrims and the some members of the Wampanoag tribe sat down together to enjoy a meal that is known to have lasted 3 days and is now known to us as the first Thanksgiving feast.

So this Thanksgiving, when you sit down with your friends and family, remind everyone how Thanksgiving came to be. Remind yourself of how lucky you are to have what you have and how that historical Thanksgiving day defined America and reminds us of how beautifully diverse our nation is.