Thanksgiving

Today Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, possibly the most important holiday after Independence Day and certainly the one for all Americans. The dates and whereabouts of the first Thanksgiving celebration are a topic of modest contention. Though the earliest attested Thanksgiving celebration was on September 8, 1565 in what is now Saint Augustine (Florida), the traditional "first Thanksgiving" is venerated as having occurred at the site of Plymouth Plantation, in 1621. Most people celebrate by gathering at home with family or friends for a holiday feast. Though the holiday's origins can be traced to harvest festivals which have been celebrated in many cultures since ancient times, the American holiday has religious undertones related to the deliverance of the English settlers by Native Americans after the brutal winter at Plymouth, Massachusetts.