First Thanksgiving of All by Nancy Byrd Turner

Get ready for a trip back in time to the very first Thanksgiving! It happened way back in 1621. Imagine people called Pilgrims sailing across a huge ocean from England to find a new place to live in America. When they got here, it wasn't easy. They didn't know how to grow food, and the winters were freezing cold and difficult.

Luckily, the Wampanoag Indians, who were already living in the area, helped the Pilgrims. They taught them important things like how to plant corn, where to fish, and how to find food in the woods. Thanks to the Wampanoag, the Pilgrims learned to survive, and soon they had a good harvest with lots of food! To show their gratitude, the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag had a big feast together. This special meal is what we now call the first Thanksgiving.

This file features a lovely poem titled "First Thanksgiving of All." This poem tells the story of that special day through the eyes of four children: Peace, Mercy, Jonathan, and a very little one named Patience. It paints a picture of them standing around a simple table, ready to give thanks. The poem points out that their Thanksgiving wasn't fancy. They didn't have lots of different dishes or even a tablecloth. Instead, they had simple food like bread and broth, and maybe a few pieces of fruit.

The poem helps us understand what was truly important that day. The children were thankful for their safe journey across the sea, for having a place to call home, and for being together with their family and friends. They were even thankful for the little things, like having broth to go with their bread and the promise of beautiful mayflowers in the spring. It reminds us that being thankful isn't about having a lot of stuff. It's about appreciating what we have and the people we share our lives with.