It is true that Squanto and his fellow Native Americans helped the Pilgrims to grow crops and get sap from trees and survive the harsh winters of what would become New England. But the very first harvest feast that these two peoples enjoyed was not called Thanksgiving. Rather it was a celebration of the fall harvest, when vegetables were pulled from the ground and off stalks and made ready for a big meal.
Pilgrims and Native Americans dined together at the same tables, yes, and they played games together and demonstrated their bow-and-arrow and musket-shooting skills to each other. But they didn't call it Thanksgiving until 1624. That year, William Bradford, the governor of the Plymouth colony, proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving that was really a day of fasting and prayer. (Remember, fasting is when you don't eat. So, Thanksgiving started out as a day of not eating.) Also, the day the members of the Plymouth Colony celebrated this day of fasting and prayer in thanksgiving was November 29.
So we have two ideas coming together: a day of Thanksgiving for the fall harvest, on which people fasted and prayed, and a great feast to celebrate the bounty of the fall harvest. Since both activities celebrated the same thing--the fall harvest--it's only natural that they eventually merged (like so many other American holidays). This merged celebration continued informally through the years, until 1863, when President Abrabham Lincoln declared the fourth Thursday of November a national holiday called Thanksgiving.
How did we decide on eating Turkey? Well, that's another story.
Great Sweta! I really love your vocabulary usage and the facts! I think this is your best blog of all;I have nothing to say!!!! Keep up the good work and also don't forget to check Mrs.Patalano's website about the blog decorating contest! See you at school and I hope to learn a thing or two from you!
ReplyDeleteWow, I amlost forgot who wrote this when I read it. It is a major improvement in your writing, it is one of the best pieces you've written so far. It is informative, and I just wish you had answered the Follow-Up question, you know, the one about turkey. Besides that, there are currently two blog contests going on. As aforesaid, there is a Blog Contest on Mrs.Patalano's Blog, but it is not a decorating contest: it is a posting contest. My blog, http://rainsremarkable.blogspot.com, is hosting a Blog Decorating Contst. Since you decorated your blog recently, it is perfect for the contest. I suggest you follow my blog because I put contest updates there. Also, one correction that Abi didn't catch. Sweta, evey year I fast for thirty days so I know this. Fasting doesn't mean not eating the entire day! So, the Pilgrims could have fasted until sunset or a certain time, and after that they could have attended a feast. I think you might want to change that, and furthermore, there are different types of fasting. Was it only fasting with food and being able to drink water or did the fast include a water strike. More information on that would be ideal. What year did they celebrate it? Anyway, Sweta, even though I am demanding information out of you, this post was very informative and it is your most stunning post so far.
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