I.                    Warm up:  Gobble gobble gobble, fat turkeys, fat turkeys.  Gobble gobble gobble, fat turkeys are we.  We’re not here for living, we're here for Thanksgiving.  Gobble gobble gobble, fat turkeys are we.

II.                 Thanksgiving

a.       1st Thanksgiving

                                                               i.      Puritans (a very strict sect of Protestants)

                                                             ii.      Originally fled persecution in England by going to Holland

                                                            iii.      In 1620, left Holland, came back to England, and arranged passage to the New World on the Mayflower.

1.      Most on Mayflower were not actually Puritans though

2.      They arrived at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620.

                                                           iv.      During the winter they lost almost half of the original colonists, 46 of the 102

                                                             v.      Squanto, a Wampanoag Indian, who happened to speak English helped teach the new settlers how to live in their new surroundings by showing them how to grow corn, etc.

                                                           vi.      The first harvest in 1621 proved to be quite bountiful, so it was decided they would have a feast.

                                                          vii.      To thank their Indian friends, the Pilgrims invited Squanto and a few others to the feast—the Indians brought about 90 people!

1.      Seeing there was not enough food for that many people for a three-day feast, the Indians went to fetch more food, bringing at least five deer, and ended up bringing most of the food.

                                                        viii.      The feast was not repeated the second year.

                                                           ix.      Unfortunately, the friendship between the Pilgrims and the Indians did not last long.  Only a few years later, they were fighting each other in the first of a series of wars known as King Phillip’s War.

b.      A Public holiday

                                                               i.      Thanksgiving was celebrated on and off for many years.  In 1777, the United States had its first official Thanksgiving in celebration of its independence from Britain.

                                                             ii.      Under the orders of George Washington in 1789 it was celebrated again.

                                                            iii.      Did not become a yearly holiday until Abraham Lincoln declared so in 1863.

                                                           iv.      Date of Thanksgiving moved many times, especially under Franklin D. Roosevelt, who finally set Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday of November.

                                                             v.      In 1941, Congress made it an official holiday.

c.       Traditions

                                                               i.      Thanksgiving is a time for family!

                                                             ii.      People will travel from all over the country to be with their family on this special day

                                                            iii.      Often gather for a big feast, usually held around 4PM (though it varies by family).

1.      Special foods:

a.       Turkey- although not necessarily had at the first Thanksgiving, this food is the main dish of the feast.  The wild turkey is native to the United States, and was even considered for becoming the national bird.

b.      Mashed potatoes-  certainly not a dish at the first Thanksgiving, but became popular with the arrival of Irish immigrants during the Great Potato Famine

c.       Corn-  a traditional American food absolutely served at the first Thanksgiving,

d.      Cranberry sauce

e.       Pumpkin pie- probably not at the first Thanksgiving, as supplies of sugar and flour were low, but they probably had steamed pumpkin.

                                                          iv.      A time for reflection on the past year and realization of what we are thankful for.

1.      I am thankful for _____(noun or verb with –ing)

2.      I am thankful that _______ (clause)