In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Native Americans shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. They ate turkey and gave thanks. While this is the most common story of Thanksgiving, the facts are still widely disputed. Many Wampanoag Native Americans assert that there never was a feast, and that, instead, the day was marked by a treaty forged between the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims.

After the “first Thanksgiving,” colonies and states have documented celebrations similar to modern Thanksgiving. However, it wasn’t until two centuries later, in 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln created a national Thanksgiving Day, held the last Thursday of November. It was an effort to, as Lincoln said, “heal the wounds of the nation.” In 1939, during the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday to the fourth Thursday of November in order to promote retail sales.

Whatever the history, Thanksgiving is now a day for Americans to gather together with their families, be grateful, and eat food. Here is what the Parker community has to say about the holiday.