During events like Thanksgiving, it is better to be prepared and know how to explain Thanksgiving to kids than to be caught off guard and explain the entire event in haste. Kids are naturally curious. Sometimes, even the most straightforward question might catch you off guard.
That should be done so that kids would also learn how to appreciate what is happening around them instead of keeping them unaware of what the event is. Since kids will grow up in events like these, it would be better if they learn about the origin and history of an annual event.
Thanksgiving is a day of fun and celebration; that is why it is nice not to set aside why people from all over the country gather on this day.
Here are some of the things that could help in explaining Thanksgiving to kids:
The very beginning
In discussing Thanksgiving to kids, grounding yourself with the event's origin can be helpful, and that dates back to 1629, which was the beginning.
According to Parents.com, the story of Thanksgiving started in England in September 1620. The story was that 102 passengers called the Pilgrims traveled through a ship called the Mayflower. They reached New England after 66 days, with only half of the passengers alive.
The first Thanksgiving
Part of explaining Thanksgiving to kids is sharing with them when the first Thanksgiving happened.
A year after the Pilgrims from the Mayflower ship survived the following fall after they landed in New England.
During that time, the Pilgrims were very thankful for the act of generosity and friendship of the Native Americans. Specifically, the Squanto shared their survival knowledge with the Pilgrims, thus, giving them the chance to survive until the following fall.
The feast
The first Thanksgiving feast happened in November 1621 when the Pilgrims and Pokanokets gathered for a harvest celebration.
The feast lasted for three days as other indigenous allies were invited to the event.
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The official Thanksgiving Holiday
The concepts of gratitude and friendship remained over the years. Although it is no longer through feasts but family dinners, Thanksgiving still gives importance to these concepts.
Thanksgiving became an official holiday only when Abraham Lincoln scheduled Thanksgiving in the final Thursday of November.
The importance of educating children about Thanksgiving
For the Executive Director of Native Hope, Jennifer Long, teaching children about culture is essential. However, she emphasized the way cultural traditions like Thanksgiving should be taught. She said, "When educators are trying to explain Thanksgiving, it is important to remind children that history is often written through the language of the dominant culture."
Long believes that children should be taught with factual teachings to avoid loss in factual narrative.
