In 1620, when the Mayflower sailed from England to the New World, the pilgrims had no idea what to expect in this new place.  They had brought only a very few items with witch  to start their new lives.  They felt it was worth the sacrifice in order to worship God in a way they desired, instead of yielding to the mighty Church of England.

     The men brought only a few tools so they could build new homes.  The ladies brought an iron pot for cooking, making soap, and making candles.  They also had a few iron pans to cook with.  The children brought no toys  to play with.  It was a difficult two months at sea.

    When they finally saw land, they were overjoyed.  The children could run up an down the beach, and no one had to feel sea sick again.  They had left England in warm September, but arrived in cold November.  They had to hurry to build some kind of shelter before the winter snows began.

     Many of the pilgrims died that first winter.  The combination of cold, starvation and sickness was just too much to bear. By spring they had made some friends with the native Americans, especially an Indian named Squanto.  He and the other Indians showed the pilgrims how to hunt deer, plant food, and find roots and berries that could be used for food or medicine.  It was a hard life, but no one wanted to go back to England when the Mayflower sailed away.

     By the end of that summer the pilgrims had plenty of food, warm houses, and good friends.  The first Thanksgiving lasted 3 days and there were more Indians in attendance tha pilgrims.  They had their celebration a little earlier in the year, probably in September of 1621.

    They had all kinds of food: wild turkey, geese, ducks and deer.  From the ocean they took lobsters, clams and many kinds of fish.  From their gardens, they had corn, cabbage, turnips,radishes, onions, and beets.  The used pumpkins, squash, fruit and nuts to make a variety of pies.

     Everyone ate, and ate, and ate.  The women cooked, and baked, and served for 3 days.  The men and children found time to play games.  It was a wonderful way to thank God for all His provision and protection in the New World.

  President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving an official holiday in 1863; right in the middle of the Civil War.  He declared Thanksgiving was to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November.  It was a time to thank God for all His blessings.  Let’s keep the tradition alive and really concentrate on being thankful.