Thanksgiving
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The story of the first Thanksgiving Around four hundred years ago many people in England were unhappy because their King would not let them pray to
God as they liked. The King said they must use the same prayers as HE did and if they refused they were persecuted,
imprisoned or even killed.
These Englishmen left their homes (in Plymouth) and went far away to a country called Holland. In Holland they were happy but they were very poor. Then when the children began to grow they became less godfearing and did not want to pray any more.
After much talking and thinking these English people decided to embark on a pilgrimage to the new world: AMERICA.
They set out in a small ship called the Mayflower to take them across the sea. There were about one hundred people
on board the tiny ship. It was crowded, cold and uncomfortable. The sea was rough. They spent two months sailing across the Atlantic Ocean.
At last the Mayflower came in sight of land. The month was November and it was cold. There was nothing to be
seen but snow, rocks and hard bare ground. They were tired and cold from their long journey, and hungry too.
No one had enough food to eat. Many of them became sick and by springtime almost half of the people had died. In spring the sun shone brightly, the snow melted and the leaves and flowers began to emerge. Some friendly
Indians had visited the Pilgrims during the winter. One of the kindly Indians was named Squanto. He stayed with the
Pilgrims and taught them how to plant their corn, peas, wheat and barley. The summer came and the days were long
and bright. The pilgrim children were very happy in their new home on Plymouth Rock.
When it was autumn the fathers gathered the barley, wheat and corn that they had planted and found that it had
grown so well that they would have quite enough for the long winter that was coming.
Let us thank God for everything, they said. Then they decided to have a big thanksgiving party and invited the
friendly Indians.
They prepared wild duck and geese and great wild turkeys. There was deer meat, bread and cakes.
They had fish and clams from the sea nearby. The friendly Indians all came with their chief. They were dressed in deerskins
and some of them had wild-cat fur skins hanging on their arms. Their long black hair fell loose on their
shoulders and was trimmed with feathers or fox tails.
Before they ate the Pilgrims and the Indians thanked God together for all his goodness.
And so the story goes of the first Thanksgiving celebrated in Plymouth colony nearly four hundred years ago.
As you sit down with your friends and family this Thanksgiving remember this original tale and give thanks for all
God's abundant blessings.
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Massasoit, chef de la
tribu des Wampanoags |
Le quatrième jeudi du mois de novembre, les Américains se réunissent en famille
pour partager la traditionnelle dinde de Thanksgiving, le gâteau au potiron et la
sauce à la canneberge.
Le 6 septembre 1620 un navire marchand, le Mayflower, quitte Plymouth à
destination de l'Amérique du Nord. Parmi les 102 personnes à bord se trouvent
35 pélerins protestants très pieux qui fuient les persécutions de Jacques 1er.
Le Mayflower aborde les côtes du nouveau monde après deux mois d'une
traversée difficile. Le premier hiver est très dur, la moitié des colons décède. Non loin d'eux se trouve un village indien dont le grand chef est Massasoit.
Les immigrants et les indiens se mettent d'accord pour vivre en paix et s'entraider.
L'un des indiens Squanto parle anglais. Il vit avec les immigrants et leur apprend à
chasser et à planter le maïs. A l'automne, après une récolte abondante, les immigrants organisent une fête
à laquelle sont invités le chef du village indien et ses guerriers.
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