Thanksgiving

A. What is thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in the month of November. It started on the USA and Canada. Thanksgiving was a holiday to express thankfulness, gratitude, and appreciation to God, family and friends for which all have been blessed of material possessions and relationships.

B. Who were the pilgrims?     

The pilgrims were a small group of people who sailed to North America in order to start a new life. They sailed on the Mayflower ship and landed on Plymouth Rock. They wanted religious freedom.

C. What is the Mayflower?

The Mayflower was one of the ship that the pilgrims used to sail on their trip to America. 

D. Who were the Wampanoag?

  

The Wampanoag are one of many Nations of people all over North America who were there long before any Europeans arrived, and have survived until today. Many people use the word “Indian” to describe them, but they would prefer to be called Native People. Their name, Wampanoag , means People of the First Light. 

 E. What happened to the Pilgrims during the first winter?

 This was very bad timing as the Pilgrims did not have time to plant food for the winter. The first winter was very harsh for the new settlers. The cold temperatures and snow interfered as the Pilgrims tried to construct their settlement. Out of the original group of Pilgrims, only about half survived the first winter.

F. What did the Wampanoag do for the pilgrims? 

The Wampanoag taught the Pilgrims how to hunt, fish and grow corn, the Pilgrims had a very successful harvest in October and had plenty of food for the upcoming winter. The Pilgrim's Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of celebration and thanksgiving sometime in the middle of October. The Pilgrims invited Squanto and many other Indians to join in the celebration. The Thanksgiving feast lasted for three days.

G. Why did they celebrate the first Thanksgiving?

Because they had a good harvest so when they had enough food to survive the winter the Pilgrims invited the Wampanoag to celebrate and give thanks with them.

E. When is Thanksgiving Celebrated now? 

Thanksgiving is celebrated the fourth thursday in November.