  Fled England to find religious freedom  Arrived at Plymouth Rock in 1620 on the Mayflower  By the winter of 1621, they had lost 46 of the original 102  The harvest of 1621 was abundant, and they celebrated with a feast The Pilgrims

 The First Thanksgiving

  The harvest festival lasted three days, and the pilgrims shared with the Indians who helped them through the season  The feast included fish, berries, watercress, lobster, dried fruit, clams, venison, and plums. The First Thanksgiving

  The tradition of “Thanksgiving Day” became a real national holiday in 1863, when Abraham Lincoln became president  It is celebrated on the second to last Thursday of November (this year it is the 24 th !) The Tradition

 Our Traditions Today  What we eat:  Turkey  Cranberry sauce  Sweet potatoes  Cornbread  Stuffing  Gravy

 The Feast

 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

 American Football

 Punkin’ Chunkin’!