Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November to give thanks for food and blessings. The tradition started in 1620 when Pilgrims from England traveled on the Mayflower to start a new life in North America. When they arrived, it was nearly winter so they faced a difficult first year with lack of food and many deaths. The following year, the Pilgrims had a successful harvest thanks to the help of Native Americans, and held a celebration which is now known as the first Thanksgiving.

2. Americans of all religions celebrate
Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of
November.
Thanksgiving is a special day for families
and people travel great distances to be with
their families.
They give thanks for the food and blessings.

3. The tradition started
when in 1620 a group of
men , women and
children left England on
a ship called Mayflower.
They were pilgrims and
they wanted to start a
new life in the New
World

4. The voyage was very
hard.They were cold and
hungry and many of them
died.
The voyage took 65 days.
They landed on the north –
east coast of North
America. What today we
know as Massachusetts.
When they arrived it was
almost winter so they had
no time to grow crops. The
winter was long. Very few
survived.

5. In spring native Americans,
the wampanoag Indians,
helped them.
They taught the pilgrims how
to grow corn, how to hunt
and how to fish.
The summer harvest was
very good and by november,
a year after their first
arrival, there was food for
everybody.

6. The pilgrims wanted to celebrate it and invited the
native Americans to a great dinner where they gave
thanks to God for the food. That was the first
Thanksgiving.

7. • Today the traditional thanksgiving meal is similar to
the first. They eat roast turkey with cranberry
sauce, potatoes, corn and pumpkin pie.

8. The pilgrims were thankful for the help from the
Indians. So, Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful!
Most families go around the table and say something
they are thankful for before eating.
What are you thankful for?