The earliest Thanksgivings were celebrated by Americans who were keenly aware that their blessings -- like their rights -- came from God. In times of hardship unimaginable to us today, they took time to give thanks to their Creator.the event is commemorated by a national holiday in November with its origins in [[Virginia]] at Berkeley Plantation on December 4, 1619. The first Thanksgiving was a religious celebration -- an occasion to thank [[God]] -- that featured only a modest meal. It wasn't until two years later, in 1621, that Thanksgiving was expanded to include a banquet by the [[Pilgrims]] in [[Massachusetts]]. Thanksgiving was the first uniquely American holiday. | The earliest Thanksgivings were celebrated by Americans who were keenly aware that their blessings -- like their rights -- came from God. In times of hardship unimaginable to us today, they took time to give thanks to their Creator.the event is commemorated by a national holiday in November with its origins in [[Virginia]] at Berkeley Plantation on December 4, 1619. The first Thanksgiving was a religious celebration -- an occasion to thank [[God]] -- that featured only a modest meal. It wasn't until two years later, in 1621, that Thanksgiving was expanded to include a banquet by the [[Pilgrims]] in [[Massachusetts]]. Thanksgiving was the first uniquely American holiday. |