![\"Image](\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2016\/11\/15972102582_55e9afc785_z.jpg\")
<\/a>Image by regan76 from flickr.com.<\/p><\/div>\n
Back in the 1600s, European settlers were traveling to and settling in America. One group of settlers from England were Puritans<\/strong> who traveled to the new world for religious reasons. These days they are referred to as pilgrims<\/strong>. The first year was terrible for them, as almost half of their people were killed in the winter of 1620. Thankfully, the pilgrims befriended the native\u00a0Wampanoag tribe. The Native Americans<\/strong> – sometimes known as Indians<\/strong> – taught them about\u00a0fishing, planting, and hunting in their land. In the autumn of 1621, they had a huge harvest<\/strong>\u00a0that gave them enough food to last through another long winter. To celebrate, the pilgrims and Wampanoags gathered together for a 3-day feast<\/strong> of thanksgiving.<\/p>\nWhile the first Thanksgiving happened way back in 1621, it didn’t become a national holiday until over 200 years later. Many of the settlements in New England began having days of\u00a0thanksgiving annually or occasionally, but it wasn’t until 1789 that George Washington proclaimed it a holiday – and that was just a one-time thing! In 1827, an author named\u00a0Sarah Josepha Hale launched a campaign to make it a national holiday. Finally, in 1863 – at the height of the Civil War – Abraham Lincoln declared it a national holiday to be celebrated on the final Thursday in November.<\/p>\n
Learn more about Thanksgiving in this short video from the History Channel:<\/p>\n