Thanksgiving, a cherished national holiday in the United States observed on the fourth Thursday of November, is a time for families to gather and express gratitude. But delving into its origins, a common question arises: Why Did The Pilgrims Celebrate The First Thanksgiving? Understanding this requires exploring the historical context and the spirit of thankfulness that characterized this early American celebration.
A Tradition of Gratitude: Ancient Roots
The act of giving thanks for blessings and bounty is a practice deeply rooted in human history, predating the arrival of European colonists in North America. Indigenous peoples across the continent had long-established traditions of expressing gratitude. For instance, Native American communities held various thanksgiving ceremonies throughout the year, such as the “Strawberry Thanksgiving” and the “Green Corn Thanksgiving,” honoring specific harvests and natural cycles.
Across the Atlantic, the English also possessed a rich history of thanksgiving. They observed days of prayer and reflection to express gratitude to God for favorable events. Examples include designated days of thanksgiving in England to mark the end of droughts with rainfall in the summer of 1623, showcasing a cultural inclination to acknowledge divine providence in times of relief and prosperity.
The Pilgrim’s Harvest of 1621
In the autumn of 1621, the Pilgrims, early English settlers in Plymouth Colony, had ample reason to give thanks. After enduring a year marked by sickness, hardship, and scarcity, their labors in the new land culminated in a bountiful harvest. This successful yield was seen as a direct blessing, a reward for their perseverance and faith. Reflecting their English heritage, the Pilgrims naturally turned to thanksgiving as a response to this fortunate turn of events. They also drew upon a familiar English custom known as the Harvest Home, a traditional celebration marking the end of the harvest season with feasting and communal rejoicing.
The First Thanksgiving Feast
The only contemporary account of this 1621 celebration comes from a letter penned by Pilgrim Edward Winslow (referred to as “E.W.”) to a friend in England. Winslow vividly describes the events:
“Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that we might after a more special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the Company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some 90 men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.”
This letter reveals that Governor William Bradford organized a hunting expedition (“fowling”) to prepare for a celebratory gathering. The hunt yielded enough fowl to feed the colony for nearly a week. Adding to the communal spirit, Massasoit, a prominent sachem (leader) of the Wampanoag people, arrived with ninety of his men. For three days, the Pilgrims and Wampanoag shared in entertainment and feasting. The Wampanoag contribution of five deer further emphasizes the collaborative nature of this gathering.
While the precise motivations of the Wampanoag for joining the Pilgrims remain open to interpretation, and the exact activities are not fully documented, the event, occurring between September 21 and November 9, 1621, clearly served as a moment of shared celebration. It was a time for the Pilgrims to express their gratitude for the harvest and their survival, and to share this abundance with their Wampanoag neighbors. This event, later romanticized and popularized in the 19th century, became enshrined in American memory as the First Thanksgiving, symbolizing not only gratitude but also, albeit complexly, early interactions between European settlers and Native Americans.
