On the fourth Thursday November every year, Americans celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving.

It's a holiday that originated in the Americas, but has subsequently spread to many other countries around the world.

It's a holiday that's actually secular, but with some religious

overtones and has a unique set of traditions that aren't really shared with any

other holiday. Learn more about the history and traditions of Thanksgiving on

this episode of Everything Everywhere daily. This Land is their Land, the Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Combe.

My audio book recommendation today is This Land is Their Land, the Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth

colony and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving by David J Silverman. In March

1621 when Plymouth's survival was hanging in the balance, the Wampanoag chief and Plymouth

Governor declared their people's friendship for each other and committed to mutual defense.

Later that autumn the English gathered for their first successful harvest and lifted the specter of starvation.

You can claim your one month trial to Audible and your two free audio books by going to

Audible Trial.com slash everything everywhere or by clicking on the link in the show notes. Tradition tells us that the first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 when the Pilgrims who lived in Plymouth

colony Massachusetts held a feast of Thanksgiving with a group of local Indians.

There were turkeys and of course the Pilgrims had big hats with buckles on them and everyone lived happily ever after.

As is so often the case with historical legends, there's often a kernel of truth with a whole lot

of embellishment which accrued over the years. So with that let's try to

unpack the truth about the holiday we call Thanksgiving and the traditions

behind it. For starters the first Thanksgiving probably wasn't the first

Thanksgiving, as in it wasn't the first Thanksgiving probably wasn't the first Thanksgiving, as in it wasn't the first

time a feast or celebration of Thanksgiving occurred in North America.

There were recorded celebrations of Thanksgiving in Virginia in 1607 and the Spanish settlement of St Augustine,

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