The American Tradition
Of course, the American Thanksgiving celebration is based on the sharing of agricultural and survival skills between the Native Americans and the early settlers to the country. This is a wonderful way to talk to children about how two very diverse cultures were able to learn to co-exist.
With the settler’s arrival to the New World in 1620 Native Americans were really instrumental in the entire colony’s survival. They had shared seeds that grew in the soil in the area that the Plymouth colony settled and the harvest dinner was a celebration of the bounty of that first harvest in 1621. Both Native Americans and the settlers feasted together, each contributing to the dinner to give thanks for the plentiful harvest.
This is also a time that you may want to research Native American groups in your area. You may find a cultural celebration you could attend or perhaps learn more with your children online.