Our first semblance of Thanksgiving was in 1621 after the colonist first harvest at Plymouth.  The Wampanoag Indians were invited to join the celebration with food as the colonist lifted their hands toward heaven and thanked  God for His protection and provisions in their new country. The pilgrims invited people outside of their own tribe and were not ashamed to make it a 3 day worship service unto the King of kings and Lord of Lords, God almighty!

Foods that may have been at the 1621 first Thanksgiving celebration( History.com)

Seafood: cod, eel, clams, lobster
Wild Fowl: wild turkey, goose, duck, crane, swan, partridge, eagles
Meat: venison (deer or elk)
Grain: wheat flour, Indian corn
Vegetables: pumpkin, peas, beans, onions, lettuce, radishes, carrots
Fruit: plums, grapes

Cranberry Sauce: The colonists had cranberries but no sugar.

Pumpkin Pie: Hard to make without sugar, plus the recipe didn’t exist at this time. However, the pilgrims had recipes for stewed pumpkin.

Chicken/Eggs: We know that the colonists brought hens with them from England, but it’s unknown how many they had left at this point or whether the hens were still laying.
Milk: No cows had been aboard the Mayflower, though it’s possible that the colonists used goat milk to make cheese.

The first historic proclamation entitled “General Thanksgiving,” was issued by George Washington during his first year as President on October 3, 1789. It set aside Thursday, November 26 as “A Day of Publick Thanksgiving and Prayer. . . to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God.”
Thanksgiving Day two hundred years ago was a day set aside for prayer and fasting, not a day marked by a feast of food.There were other Thanksgiving observances in America both before and after Washington’s proclamation. But this represents the first to be mandated by the new national government.

You really must read Washington’s decree : Read the Text Version of The First Thanksgiving Proclamation.

On October 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation calling for the observance of the fourth Tuesday of November as a national holiday. He also announced that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord.

This Thursday as we gather with our family and friends lets not neglect thanking  God that He brought us here, for His provisions and His faithfulness to a people who honor Him.God has blessed us with freedom and abundance; we can’t take it for granted any longer. We need to pray for our country, He is our only hope. The pilgrims overcame much trial by His leading. George Washington led our country to freedom by His divine power and authority. May we turn our faces to Him and beg of His mercy and supernatural leading for our country this Thanksgiving.

My kitchen window decorated for Thanksgiving

This was an exhibit at Mt. Vernon. There were church pews you could sit in while you watched the short film. I took a photo of the part talking about George Washington signing the Thanksgiving proclamation.