Scholars agree that the first Plymouth
Thanksgiving, which lasted for three days, occurred in the fall of
1621 with 90 Native Americans and 50 white settlers in attendance.
It was based on English harvest festivals. The Wampanoag men may
have been trying to negotiate a peace agreement. They brought five
deer to the feast, which probably also included cod, goose, dried
corn, and fruit.
There is no historical record of turkey or pumpkin pie. The first
feast was not repeated, so it was not the beginning of a tradition
and the colonists did not call the day Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving was a religious holiday and they would go to church
and thank God for a specific event, such as the winning of a
battle. On such a religious day, the types of recreational
activities the pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians participated in
during the 1621 harvest feast, such as dancing, singing secular
songs, and playing games would not have been allowed. That feast
was a secular celebration, so it never would have been considered
a thanksgiving in the colonists minds.