The Pilgrims set ground at Plymouth Rock onDecember 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. At the beginning of the following fall, they had lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on theMayflower. But the harvest of 1621 was a bountiful one. And the remainingcolonists decided to celebrate with a feast ——including 91 Indians who had helped the Pilgrims survive their first year. Itis believed that the Pilgrims would not have made it through the year withoutthe help of the natives. The feast was more of a traditional English harvestfestival than a true “thanksgiving” observance. It lasted three days.
1620年 12月11日，旅行者们在“普利茅斯石”登陆。他们的第一个冬季是灾难性的，第二年秋天来临时，原来的102名乘客只剩下56人。但1621年他们获得了大丰收，这些幸存的殖民者们决定和帮助他们度过困难的91名印第安人一起飨宴庆祝。他们相信，若没有当地居民的帮助，他们是不可能度过这一年的。这次节日的盛宴不仅仅是一个“感恩”仪式，它更像英国传统的丰收庆典。庆典持续了三天。
