THANKSGIVING DAY

A ship, called “Mayflower”, took off at September 6^th 1620, with 102 people (the pilgrim) and 30 crew members on board to the new world of America, later called “New England”. 

The pilgrim had been traveling for 65 days until they reached the new world on November 11^th in 1620.

While the men were building houses for the small village of Plimoth, the women and children had to stay on board of the Mayflower for another 2 months. In this winter more than 50 people died because of illness and coldness.

In January 1621, the pilgrim had the first contact to the “Wampanoag”, a tribe of Native Americans. They taught the pilgrim how to hunt and how to plant or grow up corn and other plants.

In autumn 1621, when the pilgrim had enough food, they wanted to thank the Wampanoag for their help and celebrated the first American Thanksgiving, the “Harvest Feast”. They celebrated it for almost 3 days and nights.

Nowadays, this festivity is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November every year and this year it is on 26^th.

In USA there is no school on Thanksgiving Day and there is no school on Friday. Families get together on Thanksgiving Day and invite their friends. They have a big dinner. They eat roast turkey, sweet potatoes (called yam), gravy, corn, pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce. Before dinner, they give thanks God for the things they have.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!