It was common for colonists and Native Americans to have feasts for giving thanks. Sometimes they came together for the meal. There was one near Jamestown in 1619. In the case of the first Thanksgiving, it was common for the Pilgrims to give thanks, but in a religious manner. This was more of a harvest festival not connected to religion. The first one likely occurred in 1621. It is likely that the Indians were not invited, but were attracted by the noise of the celebration. The ninety Wampanoag Indians brought several deer to contribute to the meal so the main course was venison. There were “turkies”, and possibly geese, ducks, and partridges. It’s even possible that they ate cranes, swans, and even eagles. There was no potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberries, or pumpkin pie. There was also no popcorn. There may have been beer since the Pilgrims brewed it. The recreation included games, races, and target shooting. There was singing and dancing, two activities which would not have occurred in a religious ceremony. We’ve all seen pictures of the get-together which are usually inaccurate. There were only four Pilgrim women who survived the early days of the colony. They and the men would not have been wearing black clothing. That was only for Sundays and not for nonreligious affairs. Let’s not forget that while the Pilgrims (and later Americans) had a lot to be thankful for, their guests certainly didn’t look back at this encounter as something to be thankful for. They would have been better off breaking heads instead of breaking bread.
– Mental Floss
https://www.rd.com/culture/thanksgiving-myths/
https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/406
https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/11/22/thanksgiving-holidays-myths-legends/?fbclid=IwAR1M1h3YuzcPSy5O4UpjIhT7pb8s4o6T9OMY2s3FLm-Sgq9mQCZHRMpn3BY
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