Does your family know the true story of how Thanksgiving came about? I have been so surprised by the lack of books that tell the story of Thanksgiving. Ultimately, our celebrations should be about offering thanks to God from whom ALL blessings flow, but also about this American tradition of setting aside a day to focus on offering thanks.
I had a mom recently thank me for the little reading book, The First Thanksgiving that we sell on our website. She said growing up in the public school setting she had always learned that Thanksgiving was about the Pilgrims thanking the Indians for helping them through the hard winter. She said it was really eye opening to learn that they were really setting aside a day to offer gratefulness to God.
Our family loves Thanksgiving, and I always liked to take the month of November to read to my kids all about the Pilgrims and the Indians and their experiences. I wanted them to know the story of Squanto and the Pilgrims. Do you know it? In a nutshell, Squanto faced the horrible experience of being kidnapped and taken to live in England. There, he learned to speak and relate to white men. Later, when he returned to what is now America, he found that his life had been spared as all his tribe had died of a plaque while he was gone. Then God used him to help the Pilgrims learn to survive in this new land. Best of all, as a result of Squanto helping the white men, he ultimately found the true God and became a Christian.
Have you learned of the faith of the small band of Pilgrims who left the comforts of their home to be able to teach their children to serve the living God? They faced hardship, many died, all sacrificed and God used their dedication to impact future generations. Enjoy learning the facts with your family. Make each November a time to ponder our godly heritage in this nation. Help your kids visualize what life was like for that brave little band of Pilgrims.
We sell several audios that tell wonderful, true stories about the Pilgrims:
- Stories of the Pilgrims for Children
- Stories of the Pilgrims
- Little Pioneers
- Uncle Rick’s Thanksgiving Collection
Older kids will benefit from reading William Bradford’s History of Plymouth Plantation.
One of the first signs of decline in a society is when their history is taken from them. We are in danger of this in our country, but it doesn’t have to be that way for your family!
Make November a tradition of thankfulness in your home! (Here’s how our family likes to celebrate Thanksgiving)
To see all of our Thanksgiving resources in our store, click here
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Wishing you and yours a Blessed Thanksgiving.
Joan, Marion and Marilyn