Origins of Thanksgiving
The first interesting thing to point out is that the feast shared with the Wampanoag Indians and the first mention of Thanksgiving are really not the same event. During the first winter in 1621, 46 of the 102 pilgrims died. Thankfully, the following year resulted in a plentiful harvest. The pilgrims decided to celebrate with a feast that would include 90 natives who helped the pilgrims survive during that first winter. One of the most celebrated of those natives was a Wampanoag who the settlers called Squanto. He taught the pilgrims where to fish and hunt and where to plant New World crops like corn and squash(南瓜小果). He also helped negotiate(谈判协商) a treaty(协议) between the pilgrims and chief Massasoit.
Wampanoags
This first feast included many fowl(家禽), though it is not certain that it included turkey, along with venison(鹿肉), corn, and pumpkin. This was all prepared by the four women settlers and two teenage girls. This idea of holding a harvest feast was not something new to the pilgrims. Many cultures throughout history had held feasts and banquets honoring their individual deities(神) or simply being thankful for the bounty. Many in England celebrated the British Harvest Home tradition.