The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich
harvest. The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth,
Massachusetts,in 1620. They had a difficult time and the first
winter was cruel. Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year,
they had a good harvest. So Govemor Bradford declared a
three-day feast. The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them
for their special feast. Everyone brought food.
In time, other colonies (殖民地) began to celebrate a day of
Thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national
Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale
persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He
proclaimed (宣布) the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day
of Thanksgiving. Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest
festival on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians celebrate
Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American
neighbors. But the Canadian Thanksgiving Day falls on the second
Monday in October.