In 1620, the Mayflower brought a new group of colonists to America. It was winter, and their crops would not grow in the heavy snow. Many people starved because they had no food to eat, and some fell ill as a result.

In spring the following year, a Native American called Samoset came to the colonists and said, "Let me teach you how to grow crops suitable for this land." The Native Americans helped the new colonists, and taught them how to grow corn, peas and pumpkins. They also taught the colonists how to fish and hunt.

The colonists were very grateful to the Native Americans for their help. When autumn arrived, the crops in the fields were ready to be harvested, The colonists were overjoyed to see their first harvest. One of them said, "We need to thank Samoset and the other Native Americans for this bountiful harvest." The colonists decided to prepare a delicious Thanksgiving Feast to thank the Native Americans for their help.

Then, in 1789, the government declared that Thanksgiving was to be held on November 26th every year, to thank the Native Americans and God for their help.

　　西元一六二○年，五月花號載著一批新的移民來到美洲，當時正處於冬天，作物遇到大雪無法生長，許多人因為沒有糧食而挨餓，有些人還因此生了病。

　　隔年的春天，一位名叫薩莫斯特的印地安人來到移民所居住的土地，說：「讓我來教你們種植適合這裡生長的植物吧。」印地安人便給予這些新來的移民一些幫助，並教導他們如何種植玉米、豌豆和南瓜，以及捕魚和打獵的技巧。

　　移民們非常感謝印地安人的幫忙，等到秋天來臨時，田裡的所有作物都成熟了，移民很高興有了第一次的豐收，其中一個人便說：「這一切都要感謝薩莫斯特和其它印地安人的幫助。」於是準備了酒和食物來招待這些印地安人。

　　後來，到了一七八九年的時候，政府便宣布在每年的十一月二十六日那天訂為感恩節，來表示對印地安人及上帝的感謝。