Let's Celebrate Thanksgiving

• In 1620, a ship called Mayflower departed from Plymouth, south of England, to settle in the New World. After 66 days of a difficult journey, the colonist arrived in the current United States. During the first winter, they mostly stayed on the ship. Because of the harsh winter and diseases, more than half of the colonists didn't survive.

• In the spring, they moved to the land. They received an unexpected visit from Native Americans. Surprisingly, they spoke English. They taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate native crops like corn, how to hunt native animals, how to fish, or how to extract sap from maple trees.

• Thanks to the help of Native Americans, the Pilgrims planted many crops. In the autumn, they enjoyed their first big harvest. The crops they planted and harvested this first season were native corn, beans, onions, spinach, peas, cabbage, or carrots. Historical records reveal that the corn harvest was plentiful that year. They served it as a cooked corn porridge.

And What Else?

• The Pilgrims shared their harvest and also went hunting for fowl. We are not sure if they actually had turkey at this first Thanksgiving dinner. Most probably, they had other common birds such as ducks, geese, and swans.

• The Native Americans also wanted to share something with the Pilgrims, so they went and hunted for deer. The Pilgrims prepared a feast using native spices, herbs, and cooking methods. The ingredients might have been very similar to what we use today, but the meals looked different. They didn't have sugar at that time, so no pies or desserts.

• Today, we are lucky that we can access all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables at any time of the year. To commemorate the feast and how both parties shared food, you can share food too. These days, many people cannot afford a nice Thanksgiving dinner, or even 3 meals a day. The day after Thanksgiving, we usually have a lot of leftovers. If we do not eat them all, the food goes to waste, so let’s make sure we share this year!