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Halloween
- The Story Behind Halloween – Lesson
- The Story Behind Halloween – Quiz
- Are You Too Old To Go Trick-Or-Treating? – Lesson
- Look out for the Blue Pumpkin – Lesson
- Is the White House Haunted? – Lesson
- Is the White House Haunted? – Quiz
- Mummies Discovered in Egypt – But That’s Nothing to Fear – Lesson
- Salem Witch Trials: When Being Called a Witch Meant Death – Lesson
- Halloween Around the World: It Isn’t Just Costumes and Candy – Lesson
- Halloween Around the World: It Isn’t Just Costumes and Candy – Quiz
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Thanksgiving
- The Evolution of Thanksgiving – Lesson
- The Evolution of Thanksgiving – Quiz
- The Political Roots of Thanksgiving – Lesson
- The Political Roots of Thanksgiving – Quiz
- Turkey for Thanksgiving – But Why? – Lesson
- Turkey for Thanksgiving – But Why? – Quiz
- This Thanksgiving, Consider Helping the Less Fortunate – Lesson
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Christmas
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Easter
- Good Friday: Christ Carried Sin to the Grave – And Left It There – Lesson
- Good Friday: Christ Carried Sin to the Grave – And Left It There – Quiz
- Easter Traditions: From Rabbits to Egg Jarping – Lesson
- Easter Traditions: From Rabbits to Egg Jarping – Quiz
- Easter Monday and Egg Rolling at the White House – Lesson
- Easter Monday and Egg Rolling at the White House – Quiz
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Federal Holidays and Observances
- New Year’s Day: Just as Political as Anything Else – Lesson
- This Presidents’ Day, Let’s Remember the Weird – Lesson
- Astounding Facts about US Presidents – Lesson
- Astounding Facts about US Presidents – Quiz
- Memorial Day: A Time of Honor and Respect – Lesson
- Memorial Day: A Time of Honor and Respect – Quiz
- From Decoration Day to Memorial Day – Lesson
- From Decoration Day to Memorial Day – Quiz
- Who Was the Poppy Lady, Moina Belle Michael? – Lesson
- Who Was the Poppy Lady, Moina Belle Michael? – Quiz
- The Origins of Flag Day – Lesson
- The Origins of Flag Day – Quiz
- America’s Flag – An Evolved Banner for an Ever-Changing Country – Lesson
- America’s Flag – An Evolved Banner for an Ever-Changing Country – Quiz
- Celebrating the 4th of July – Lesson
- Celebrating the 4th of July – Quiz
- Who Should We Thank for Labor Day? – Lesson
- Who Should We Thank for Labor Day? – Quiz
- Constitution and Citizenship Day – Lesson
- Constitution Day – The First Day of Constitution Week – Lesson
- Constitution Day – The First Day of Constitution Week – Quiz
- The Political Origins of Columbus Day – Lesson
- The Political Origins of Columbus Day – Quiz
- Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day? – Lesson
- Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day? – Quiz
- Veterans Day: A Day to Honor Those Who Served – Lesson
- Veterans Day: A Day to Honor Those Who Served – Quiz
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Other Traditions
- Valentine’s Day Love Poems – Lesson
- Love Poems for Valentine’s Day – Lesson
- Who Was St. Valentine? – Lesson
- Who Was St. Valentine? – Quiz
- No Love for Valentine’s Day in the East – Lesson
- No Love for Valentine’s Day in the East – Quiz
- Beware the Ides of March – But Why? – Lesson
- Beware the Ides of March – But Why? – Quiz
- St. Patrick’s Day: A Celebration of the Irish – Lesson
- St. Patrick’s Day: A Celebration of the Irish – Quiz
- May Day: Dancing ‘Round the Maypole – Lesson
- May Day: Dancing ‘Round the Maypole – Quiz
- Cinco de Mayo: Celebrating Mexico’s Victory in Puebla – Lesson
- Cinco de Mayo: Celebrating Mexico’s Victory in Puebla – Quiz
- Mother’s Day: The Anti-War Effort Turned Holiday – Lesson
- Mother’s Day: The Anti-War Effort Turned Holiday – Quiz
- Father’s Day: More Than Just a Day for Ties – Lesson
- Father’s Day: More Than Just a Day for Ties – Quiz
- Presidential Fathers: Responsible for Their Kids and the Country – Lesson
- Presidential Fathers: Responsible for Their Kids and the Country – Quiz
- Proof of the Hanukkah Story Found? – Lesson
- Proof of the Hanukkah Story Found? – Quiz
- Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue – April Celebrates Poetry, Too – Lesson
- Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue – April Celebrates Poetry, Too – Quiz
The Evolution of Thanksgiving – Lesson
From the Pilgrims to the Mother of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate with friends and family. While eating that extra piece of pumpkin pie may be common during today’s celebration, this traditional holiday started very differently. It took centuries before Thanksgiving became a celebrated day across the nation.
Brief History of Thanksgiving
In September 1620, a group of religious separatists left Plymouth, England, on the small ship named Mayflower, seeking a place where they could practice their faith freely. It took 66 days to arrive near the tip of Cape Cod and then another month to reach Massachusetts Bay, where they finally started a village.
The first winter was so brutal, most of the colonists (also called the pilgrims) stayed aboard ship, suffering from diseases and exposure. Only half of the original passengers lived through the winter. When the group went ashore in March, they were met by an Abenaki Indian who surprisingly greeted them in English. When he came back a few days later, he brought a man named Squanto with him. Squanto was from the Patuxet tribe. He had been kidnapped and sold into slavery by an English sea captain, but had escaped and returned to his home.
Squanto taught the tired and malnourished Pilgrims how to grow corn, obtain sap from maple trees, and catch fish. He also introduced them to the Wampanoag, the local tribe that would share the first Thanksgiving dinner with the Pilgrims. This famous meal took place in November 1621, after the colonists’ first corn harvest was a success.
The dinner didn’t consist of the dishes we eat during the holiday today. Many of the foods were prepared using Native American cooking methods and spices.
Thanksgiving Evolution
The first U.S. president, George Washington, tried to start a Thanksgiving holiday, but it was just a one-time event. In 1817, New York became the first state to officially adopt an annual Thanksgiving. Other states followed, but they each celebrated on different days.
Sarah Josepha Hale is a famous author noted for the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” She was so adamant about starting a national holiday of Thanksgiving that in 1827 she launched a campaign for it. She is known as the “Mother of Thanksgiving” because of her dedication to the cause.
Interesting Facts
- Lobster, seal, and swans were on the Pilgrims’ menu.
- Presented by Macy’s department store since 1924, New York City’s Thanksgiving Day parade is the largest and most famous one, attracting some 2-3 million spectators along its 2.5-mile route.
- From about the mid-20th century, the president of the United States has “pardoned” one or two Thanksgiving turkeys each year.