Thanksgiving is a U.S. federal holiday that takes place on the fourth Thursday of November, encouraging families to gather and celebrate gratitude and harvest traditions, the origin stories of which date back to the early 17th century in New England. Thanksgiving honors cooperation and survival, marking the permanent settlement of America, giving praise to God, military victory, and tiring finished work. Though the holiday holds considerable historical significance, for many modern Americans it is simply marked by turkeys, parades, and football.
The first extensively recognized Thanksgiving celebration took place in 1621 in Plymouth, when Wampanoag people and English colonists assembled for a harvest feast after a complex year. The Native Americans played a crucial role in helping the settlers survive, teaching them the ways to farm, fish, and gather food. APUSH teacher at Hidden Valley, Mrs. Fisher explains that “students should understand the true history of Thanksgiving-not the myths, but the real interactions between Native Americans and colonists.” Myths often downplay the violence experienced by Indigenous peoples, simplifying stories to be easier for the public to understand.
Modern Thanksgiving traditions vary widely across families. Susie Metz (11), a junior at Hidden Valley, describes how her family spends the day visiting both sides of her extended family. We go to lunch at my grandpa’s house and then dinner at my Mimo’s house, and we just eat a lot of food” (Metz 11).
Thanksgiving was declared as a national holiday in 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln stated it as a yearly day of gratitude during the Civil War. Over time, the holiday evolved and became a celebration that many Americans know for the gatherings and tradition, reminding the world to slow down, look around, and give thanks for what they have.
