What They Tell You About Thanksgiving Vs. The Real Story

Written by McKenzie Guertin & David Hill

Thanksgiving is an iconic holiday that is primarily celebrated in North America. The holiday is spent hanging out with family and friends and giving thanks. Most people know the history behind Thanksgiving, but nowadays there are many different opinions about the events that led to the beloved holiday.

In 1621, a group of English settlers from the Mayflower landed on what would become the modern-day United States of America. These settlers would soon come across Native Americans and propose a feast together to celebrate the discovery of the land and its people. This feast took place in Plymouth, depicted as a pot-luck.

This is the story told to young American children typically in elementary school. I also heard this story as a young kid, and we’d dress up as pilgrims or Native Americans to celebrate the holiday.

The real history of this beloved holiday is much darker than many may think. Around four weeks before the Mayflower landed, European settlers from a different ship set foot onto Native American soil. Upon meeting the Natives, settlers transmitted illnesses that killed a large number of Native Americans. The settlers also imprisoned and killed Natives weeks before the holiday of Thanksgiving.

Around four weeks later, the Mayflower landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Although the settlers and Natives came to a truce, the Native Americans weren’t invited to the feast. In fact, while the Europeans were shooting their guns in celebration of the newly found land, the Natives thought they were in a battle and didn’t approach them. Later, both parties came together to have a discussion about the events that unfolded beforehand. The Europeans and the Wampanoag Tribe never really got along and only called a truce due to how aggressive the Europeans were. The Wampanoags held deep-rooted hate for the settlers due to the illnesses they transmitted, this caused a large amount of the tribe to die. The Native Americans were only allowed to join the feast after they worked long and laborious hours collecting food and teaching settlers how to feast. (Delish Magazine)

Some people argue that saying “Happy Thanksgiving” isn’t politically correct. This is because it brings back bitter memories surrounding the holiday. They also argue that Native Americans don’t remember the day as we do. In the present day, some Native Americans celebrate Thanksgiving without thinking about the past, a clear difference from the opinion above. A friend of mine is part Native American and thinks Thanksgiving “is just a normal holiday. Who cares about the past nowadays?” (Gavin, 11th grade). However, Some Natives may think otherwise due to the somber truth behind Thanksgiving.

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Should Thanksgiving be celebrated? The answer to this question has been debated for years with many different answers. For many Native Americans, they see Thanksgiving as a day of mourning for all the lives lost. This day of grieving is very important to Natives as they can never forget the pain and suffering done to them. Meanwhile, Americans have large celebrations and festivals that include large gatherings, the Macy’s Day Parade, iconic TV shows, and movies. ( The Hawkeye)

One group argues that Thanksgiving should be celebrated due to the deeper message behind it. The holiday now stands for a day to come together with family and friends to give thanks. Being thankful for everything you have is an important message that shouldn’t be forgotten. If we overlook the thoughts and actions that go into being thankful, an important message taught to everyone is undermined. Although Thanksgiving should be celebrated, we shouldn’t forget the true past of the beloved holiday. We as humans should be educated on the truth behind this holiday so we can understand history and be mindful of the lives that were changed.

A counterargument to this option would be that many other holidays, like Christmas, Halloween, and Easter, don’t focus on the past. Although they have religious origins, many people who aren’t a part of those religions still celebrate these holidays. Christmas, for example, is still celebrated by Atheists even though the holiday is based around the birth of Jesus Christ. Holidays like Thanksgiving should be celebrated without looking at the past. Thanksgiving is known for being a joyful holiday for showing thanks. Even with the violent history of our country and the holiday, we should still consider it to be a day of thankfulness no matter the reason.

Thanksgiving as a whole and as a holiday is one to appreciate. It's a holiday of thankfulness. It takes some thought to truly realize what kind of things we have in our life that aren't there for others. Even with the controversial history and ties to the past that we may not want to remember, it's a good holiday, and when done right, it brings joy to everyone who celebrates it. By being appreciative of the little things, Thanksgiving is great for everyone to take a break, step back, and say thanks.