We have now almost finished the wonderful month of November. This is the month where we all ate too much food and felt like we were all going to burst. Little do people genuinely know,  Thanksgiving has alternate meanings. Here are some facts (and fictions).

1. Thanksgiving was first celebrated in America. False…similar festivities like Thanksgiving have been held in England and many parts of Europe whenever a certain group felt that they had to give thanks for something.
2. Thanksgiving was always celebrated in November. False…actually back then Thanksgiving was celebrated in mid-September to late October. The festival usually occurred on September 29th.
3. Native Americans and Pilgrims were best friends. False…when the Native Americans arrived they raided the homes of the Pilgrims taking whatever they could get their hands on.
4. Pilgrims taught the Native Americans about Thanksgiving. False…Native Americans had actually observed many festivals back in Europe.
5. Last but certainly not least, at the first Thanksgiving that’s how the Pilgrims got their name. False…actually the Pilgrims referred to themselves as saints. It wasn’t until the 20th century the name “Pilgrim” was used to exclusively describe the people of Plymouth Rock.

There you have it: a better than ever updated version of some people’s favorite holiday. From all of us here at The Clarion we wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!