America’s Thanksgiving commemorates the Pilgrims’ harvest feast, part of the story of the settling of Plymouth Colony, an important period in American history. Since the Pilgrims’ original feast was never repeated, it can’t really be called the beginning of a tradition, nor did the Pilgrims call it a Thanksgiving Feast. Nevertheless, the 1621 feast has become a model for our own Thanksgiving celebration. Learn all about the first Thanksgiving, find out what else was happening at that time, read Thanksgiving poems, get authentic Pilgrim recipes, activity ideas, and much more at the following links.
The First Thanksgiving – This page includes Thanksgiving poems, recipes, activities, fun facts, and a free downloadable ebook, The Thanksgiving Story.
Giving Thanks – The Thanksgiving holiday is a good time to help your children reflect on what they are grateful for.
Family-friendly Thanksgiving Films – Some movies with Thanksgiving themes that the whole family can enjoy.
Mayflower Family Ties – An infographic of notable Mayflower descendants, from Archives.com. Take some time this Thanksgiving to explore your family history. Who knows, you might find some Mayflower ties if you search far back enough!
