Thankful Together: Understanding the History and Heart of Thanksgiving

Thankful Together: Understanding the History and Heart of Thanksgiving

When we think of Thanksgiving, we often picture a table surrounded by family and friends sharing a meal. While that image captures the spirit of togetherness, the holiday’s roots reach much deeper. Long before the Pilgrims’ famous feast of 1621, Indigenous peoples across North America celebrated harvest seasons with feasts, dances, and rituals that gave thanks for the bounty of the land.

The first documented Thanksgiving service in North America took place on May 27, 1578, in Newfoundland. Some historians also believe that colonists at the Popham Colony in Maine held a Thanksgiving service in 1607. That same year, settlers in Jamestown, Virginia, gave thanks for their safe arrival in the New World, and in 1610 they held another day of gratitude when a supply ship reached them after a devastating winter. Early colonists in Virginia continued holding Thanksgiving services annually until conflict with local tribes brought the tradition to a halt.

The Pilgrims later held what became the most recognized Thanksgiving in 1621. It was not a formal religious event but a shared feast among settlers and the Wampanoag people. They said grace before eating, played games, and celebrated for three days. Two years later, in 1623, after a long drought threatened their crops, the Pilgrims gathered to pray for rain—and days later, it came. When Captain Miles Standish arrived with supplies and news of another ship on its way, the settlers held another day of thanks on June 30, 1623. This blend of prayer and celebration became the model for future Thanksgiving observances.

For about 150 years, Thanksgiving celebrations were held locally, usually during harvest season. In 1789, Massachusetts called for a day of giving thanks to celebrate the new Constitution and independence. Later that year, President George Washington proclaimed November 26 as a national day of “public thanksgiving and prayer.” Presidents Adams, Madison, and Monroe continued this practice, though Thomas Jefferson declined, citing concerns about the separation of church and state.

Thanksgiving became a permanent national holiday thanks in large part to Sarah Josepha Hale, the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book. Over 36 years, she published articles, recipes, and letters urging leaders to establish a national day of thanks. Her persistence paid off in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln, following the Battle of Gettysburg, declared that the last Thursday of November would be a day of national Thanksgiving. Many saw his proclamation as a step toward healing a divided nation during the Civil War.

In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving to the third Thursday of November to lengthen the shopping period before Christmas, but public pushback led Congress to settle the matter in 1941, officially designating the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day.

Today, Thanksgiving remains a time for families and communities to gather, reflect, and express gratitude. For Resident Service Coordinators, this season also brings an opportunity to show empathy and support for residents who may be facing new challenges. Many individuals and families have lost or are losing their SNAP benefits, which can make the holidays feel more stressful than in years past. This is a time to reach out, listen, and connect residents with resources that can help lighten the burden. Consider partnering with local grocery stores, food pantries, and community organizations to organize food distributions or share information about assistance programs. Thanksgiving reminds us that gratitude grows stronger when it is shared and that by extending care and compassion, we help create a sense of stability and belonging within our communities.

Sources: 
Bradford, William. Bradford's History of the Plymouth Settlement 1608-1650. Valerian Paget, ed. (New York: John McBride Co., 1909), and his Of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647. Samuel Eliot. ed. (New York: Knopf, 1979.) Also, Bradford and Winslow. Mourt's Relation: Journal of the English Plantation at Plimoth. University Microfilms, Inc., 1966. 
Greif, Martin. The Holiday Book. (New York: Universe Books, 1978). 
Hatch, Jane M. The American Book of Days, 3rd ed. (New York: Wilson Co., 1978). 
Linton, Ralph and Adelin. We Gather Together: The Story of Thanksgiving. (New York: Henry Schuman, 1949). 
Myers, Robert. Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays. (New York: Doubleday and Co., 1972). 
Saturday Evening Post. "A Setting for the First Thanksgiving," by Virginius Dabney, 253 (November 1981), 12, 14, 88, 118; and "Who Says They Were First?" by John Gould, 231 (November 1958), 39, 112, 115-6. 
Schaun, George and Virginia. American Holidays and Special Days. (Lanham: Maryland Historical Press, 1986). 
Scherer, Margaret R. Thanksgiving and Harvest Festivals. (New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1942). 
Sickel, H.S.J. Thanksgiving: Its Source, Philosophy, and History with all National Proclamations and Analytical Study Thereof. (Philadelphia: International Printing Co., 1940). 
Thomson, Lucy Gertsch. How Holidays Happened. (Utah: Horizon Publishers, 1976).