The Pilgrim Fathers They came from England . They were a group of religious people called the Puritans. They had problems with the church of England. They were unhappy so they didn’t want to stay in England. They decided to sail to the New world because they wanted to find religious freedom.

The crossing They left England on September 6th 1620. Their ship was called the Mayflower . There were 102 passengers aboard. The crossing took two months. They lived in terrible conditions. There were violent storms.

Starting a new life The Pilgrim fathers arrived in Plimoth on December 21, 1620. They were exhausted. They started to build their new houses. Their life conditions were terrible because it was cold. They didn’t have warm clothes and they didn’t have enough food. They were ill. It was a terrible time. In the spring, they met the Indians. The Wampanoags were very friendly. They helped the new comers to plant crops, to fish and hunt. The Pilgrims worked hard. They cut down trees. They built houses. When fall came, the Pilgrims were very happy. Their first harvest was a success. That is why they decided to invite and celebrate the occasion with the Indians. This was the first Thanksgiving in America.

Thanksgiving today… Today, on Thanksgiving, families get together and have a big harvest feast : they eat turkey, corn, stuffing, potatoes, cornucopias, and pumpkin pie. The customs of Thanksgiving are : sharing, eating, seeing your family, singing, thanking people for coming over and coming to their celebration! It is a thankful holiday!