Thanksgiving History and Customs

Title: Basic Understandings
  1. Thanksgiving is a celebration of the end of the harvest.
  2. In the fall, some of the fruits and vegetables harvested include
pumpkins, apples, and nuts.
  3. Families celebrate the end of the harvest with a special Thanksgiving
dinner. The dinner usually includes a roasted turkey and pumpkin pie.
  4. In pioneer days, Native families and pioneer families sometimes
celebrated together sharing food they harvested.

   The Mayflower sailed from Southampton, England on  Sept. 16, 1620.  The
ship arrived at Cape Cod on Nov.11.   During the voyage, one passenger had
died and one was born. 102 passengers arrived in Massachusetts Bay that year.
Only 52 of those who landed survived
    that first winter.  Some husbands lost wives; some wives lost husbands;
some families lost children; and some complete families died.  Among the
survivors, there were descendents of 25 surnames.  Check the list.  It
contains the surnames of the 25 families that left  descendents.  Perhaps
you'll find your great-great-great grandparents among these surnames.


THANKSGIVING CONCEPTS
  
  1. Thanksgiving is a time to be "thankful".  Glad for what we have!
  
  2. The Pilgrims and Indians started Thanksgiving Day.
  
  3. The Pilgrims were thankful for the Indians help in sharing seeds and
showing them how to hunt and cook new foods so they could live in their new
land.
  
  4. The Indians were thankful to have new friends. (I know, I know.  But at
this time, they may have been!)
  
  5. Today people often celebrate Thanksgiving by having a big dinner with
relatives and friends.
  
  6. Turkey, vegetables and pumpkin pie are usually served for Thanksgiving
dinner because that is what the Pilgrims and Indians had onthe first
Thanksgiving.  They also had fish, venison (deer) and popcorn, too!


Service Project

  FOOD PANTRY
  I think I have mentioned this before, but our favorite activity to do at
this time of year is to collect food for the local food pantry.  The kids LOVE
to bring food from home (cans and boxed food).  We usually gather 10 large
bags for the pantry.  They write us a nice thank-you that I read to the
children, and they are very proud of their work!