Thanksgiving's Ancient Origins

The origins of Thanksgiving in America can be found on the other side of the Atlantic, despite the fact that the holiday originated in the New England colonies. Days of fasting during trying or crucial times, and days of feasting and celebration to give thanks to God in times of plenty, were traditions of providential holidays that were brought over by both the Separatists who came over on the Mayflower and the Puritans who arrived shortly after.

Furthermore, Thanksgiving belongs to a category of festivals that spans cultures, continents, and millennia as an annual celebration of the harvest and its bounty. After the fall harvest, the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans feasted and offered sacrifices to their gods. The ancient Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot and Thanksgiving are similar. Finally, historians have noted that long before Europeans stepped foot on American soil, Native Americans had a rich tradition of celebrating the fall harvest with feasting and revelry.