View source for Thanksgiving (United States)

'''Thanksgiving''' is a [[holiday]] celebrated once a year on the fourth [[Thursday]] of [[November]].

== History == 
{{external media | width = 210px | float = right | headerimage= [[File:Wampanoag2.jpg|210px]] | video1 = [http://video.pbs.org/video/2365615188/ The True Story of the First Thanksgiving], ''[[American Experience]]'', [[PBS]], November 24, 2015<ref name="AEpbs">{{cite web | title =The True Story of the First Thanksgiving | publisher =[[American Experience]] at [[PBS]] | url =http://video.pbs.org/video/2365615188/ | access-date =November 25, 2015 }}</ref> }}

In 1620 the ''[[Mayflower]]'' brought the [[Pilgrims]] to [[Massachusetts]].  They made their new home in what is now [[Plymouth, Massachusetts]], 380 km northeast of what is now [[New York]]. 

Half of the Pilgrims died during their first winter in North America. They were cold and did not have enough food. The following year, though, the Native Americans, who were from the [[Wampanoag]] [[tribe]], helped them grow crops. At [[harvest]] time in the autumn of 1621 they were very thankful that they had a good [[crop]] of food to eat during the coming winter. They thanked God and the Native Americans for teaching them how to grow the local foods.

They invited three of the Wampanoags who had helped them to their feast. They were [[Squanto]], [[Samoset]], and [[Chief Massasoit]]. The Wampanoags brought their families. This was over 90 people. There were so many people that the Pilgrims did not have enough food to make the [[meal]], so the Wampanoags brought along their own food for the feast.

The Wampanoags brought turkey, duck, fish, deer, berries, squash, and [[cornbread]]. They also brought vegetables that they had farmed and shown the Pilgrims how to care for.

However, there is some disagreement over which event was the first Thanksgiving with claims that Virginia had the first celebrations.

== Thanksgiving today ==
[[File:Our_%28Almost_Traditional%29_Thanksgiving_Dinner.jpg|thumb|right|320px|A traditional thanksgiving dinner today.]]
In the United States, the Thanksgiving holiday is a four-day holiday over a weekend, starting on Thanksgiving Thursday and ending on Sunday. Families and friends usually eat a special meal together (usually with a [[Turkey (bird)|turkey]] as the main dish). This meal also usually includes [[mashed potatoes]], [[cranberry sauce]], [[pumpkin pie]], several casseroles, and [[stuffing]]. The food eaten today for Thanksgiving is very different from the food that was eaten at the First Thanksgiving in 1621. A traditional food is turkey.

== Controversy ==
Thanksgiving is not looked upon positively by some who use the day for mourning to take into account the [[genocide]] and conquest of [[Native Americans]] by colonists although not all indigenous people are entirely negative on Thanksgiving. The holiday is also looked upon negatively by some vegetarians for promoting the eating of turkeys although many vegetarians and vegans eat plant-based alternatives for Thanksgiving.

== Related pages ==
* [[Thanksgiving]]
* [[Black Friday]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{U.S. Holidays}}
{{U.S. Federal Holidays}}

[[Category:Thanksgiving]]