The Bible was very important in the Pilgrims’ lives. Some historians have suggested that the first Thanksgiving meal was modeled after the Jewish pilgrimage festival of Sukkot. They say that when the pilgrims wanted to give thanks to God for helping them survive, they recalled the harvest festival which they had read about in the Bible (Deuteronomy 16:13-17), and used our Sukkot celebration as their model.
From Holiday Happenings of the Union for Reform Judaism
According to the book Molly's Pilgrim (which my 3rd grade students read, and which is obviously the best source for facts), Thanksgiving came from Sukkot. So it must be true! I guess Ellen read it too! :) Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate!
ReplyDeleteThis is a terrific article. I enjoy reading about the integration of American holidays within a Jewish context. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAnne (Alana's Grammie)