Next Thursday, millions of families will gather around the table to share a Thanksgiving meal, complete with turkey, vegetables and pumpkin pie. This tradition dates back to 1621, when Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag shared an autumn feast together. For over 200 years after this first feast, individual states and colonies had various days of thanksgiving. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving an official and national holiday to be held each November.

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The Mayflower, carrying 102 passengers, left England in September 1620 in search of the New World. 66 days later, the ship landed in Cape Cod and dropped anchor for a month before crossing Massachusetts Bay.

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The first winter was harsh and claimed the lives of half of the colonists, who died from exposure, scurvy and contagious diseases aboard the Mayflower. By March, the remaining colonists moved ashore and were greeted by an Abenaki Native American who spoke English. He left, and returned several days later with Squanto, a member of the Pawtuxet tribe who learned English after being kidnapped and sold into slavery. He was able to escape to London and return to his tribe.

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Squanto taught the newcomers how to harvest corn, extract sap from maple trees, catch fish and how to determine if a plant was poisonous. He also helped settlers create an alliance with the Wampanoag tribe.

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In November 1621, following a successful first harvest, Governor William Bradford organized a feast that included the colonists, the new Native American allies and their chief, Massasoit.

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Since its official inception, Thanksgiving has changed immensely. What was once a religious celebration, Thanksgiving now centers on cooking and eating a large meal surrounded by family and friends. Turkey was not on the menu for the original Thanksgiving celebration due to the fact that the pilgrims had no stove, but now, over 90 percent of American households eat a turkey each year.

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There is controversy as to how the story of Thanksgiving is taught to the public, specifically in schools. The way the story is told, the Native Americans and the colonists got along in perfect harmony in the New World. In reality, things were much more complicated. There is a long history of conflict and murder between the Native Americans and the European settlers that is not talked about.

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Despite these conflicts, Thanksgiving is the second favorite holiday among Americans. Almost 3 billion dollars are spent in America for the holiday, with 51 million turkeys sold and an average of 120 dollars being spent per household on the feast.