Did Thanksgiving Actually Begin in England? A New Perspective on a Beloved American Tradition

Every year, millions of Americans gather on the fourth Thursday of November to celebrate Thanksgiving, a holiday that has become synonymous with family gatherings, hearty meals, and giving thanks for the year’s blessings. Most Americans trace the origins of this cherished holiday back to the autumn of 1621, when at least 90 Wampanoag people joined 52 English settlers at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, to celebrate a successful harvest. This communal feast is remembered today as the “First Thanksgiving,” although that term was not used at the time. But what if the story of Thanksgiving’s beginnings actually stretches back even further—across the Atlantic Ocean to Plymouth, England?

Recent explorations of history have suggested that the roots of the American Thanksgiving might, in fact, lie in Plymouth, England. Before setting sail for the New World, the Pilgrims lived and worshipped in this English coastal town, preparing for their journey to start a new life across the ocean. As they made their preparations, the settlers carried with them traditions from their homeland—including the idea of gathering together to give thanks.

Thanksgiving, as we know it today, draws heavily from a practice that was well established in Plymouth, England. In the early 17th century, it was common for communities to come together to express gratitude after a bountiful harvest or to pray for divine favor during times of hardship. These gatherings were marked by communal meals, heartfelt prayers, and the spirit of togetherness. The Pilgrims took these customs with them when they embarked on their treacherous journey aboard the Mayflower in 1620.

Once in America, these traditions found new life in Massachusetts Bay, where the Pilgrims had settled. After enduring a harsh winter and with the aid of the local Wampanoag people, the settlers managed to reap a successful harvest in 1621. In gratitude, they invited their Wampanoag neighbors to join them in a communal feast—an act reminiscent of the harvest celebrations they had known back in Plymouth, England. Though no one at the time called it a “Thanksgiving,” the sentiment was clear: it was a day for appreciating the bounty they had worked so hard to achieve, together.

Plymouth, England, still holds traces of these early traditions today. The Mayflower Steps, a memorial marking the departure of the Pilgrims, serves as a reminder of the town’s historical significance and the values its inhabitants carried across the ocean. Historians argue that the spirit of Thanksgiving—the celebration of community, resilience, and gratitude—was born from the customs that these settlers took with them from their hometown. In a way, the American Thanksgiving is not just a celebration of the Pilgrims’ survival and harvest in the New World, but also a tribute to the traditions they brought from their English roots.

While the story of the “First Thanksgiving” remains one of unity and survival in the face of hardship, it also serves as a reminder of the deeply connected histories between the Old World and the New. For those looking to truly understand the origins of this American holiday, it may be worth looking further back to Plymouth—not just Massachusetts, but the coastal town in England where the seeds of this beloved tradition were first sown.